Federal prosecutors are seeking a maximum sentence for the man convicted of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home and attacking her husband, Paul, with a hammer in 2022.
In a sentencing memorandum filed by the Justice Department on Friday, prosecutors said David DePape should be held in prison for 40 years, ABC News reported.
DePape’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for this week. He was convicted of breaking into Pelosi’s San Francisco home and attacking Paul Pelosi on Oct. 28, 2022, in November.
The attack left the 84-year-old hospitalized for six days with a skull fracture. It was also caught on camera by police body cameras worn by officers who responded to the scene.
Federal prosecutors have argued that the attack was an act of terror and that DePape should get more than what guidelines recommend.
DePape was convicted of two charges, including attempted kidnapping, which carries a 20-year maximum, and assault, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Prosecutors are asking for DePape to receive 20 years for the second charge and that his prison time run consecutively, not concurrently.
“The defendant planned a violent hostage-taking of the Speaker Emerita, and then nearly killed her husband. The defendant planned and unleashed violence and has stayed true to his belief that the actions were necessary,” the sentencing memorandum obtained by ABC News shared.
While on the stand, DePape admitted that he broke into the home because he wanted to speak with Rep. Pelosi about what he thought was interference in the 2020 election.
However, he claimed that Paul Pelosi was not his target when he entered the home.
In addition to the 40 years that prosecutors are seeking, they also want eight years of supervised release when DePape gets out of prison.
DePape’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 17.
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