By Peter Weber The Week

A federal jury on Tuesday convicted Guy Reffitt, a Texas oil and gas rig manager and consultant, on all five counts tied to his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, handing federal prosecutors a key victory in the first Jan. 6 cases put before a jury. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, set sentencing for June 8. Reffitt, 49, faces up to 20 years in prison, but will likely get much less time.

Prosecutors did not accuse Reffitt of entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but provided evidence he spurred the crowd to battle past police officers and break into the Senate wing, with the intent to stop Congress from certifying President Biden’s victory. Reffitt, a recruiter for the Texas Three Percenters militia group, wore a holstered handgun, body armor, a helmet, and zip-tie handcuffs when he led a group to confront police. According to police testimony and recordings he made, Reffitt turned back after being incapacitated with tear gas, but took credit for the breach.

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