Utah Man Sentenced for Capitol Breach Chaos

A Utah man has been sentenced for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, a chaotic event that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress.

John Earle Sullivan, 29, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth to 72 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

Sullivan was found guilty by a federal jury of felony offenses of obstructing an official proceeding, obstructing officers during a civil disorder, entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on Capitol grounds or buildings on Nov. 16, 2023. In addition to the felonies, the jury also found Sullivan guilty of misdemeanor offenses of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

According to court documents, in the days and weeks leading to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Sullivan used various digital platforms and personas to present himself as an activist; however, on these platforms, Sullivan made his true objectives clear: to cause pure chaos and disruption to the status quo. Sullivan alternated between advertising legitimate protests and broadcasting violent anti-establishment rhetoric.

In the winter of 2020, Sullivan began advocating for a violent government dismantling. In one Instagram post, Sullivan wrote, “We will have live updates on the location for tonight’s purge. Spread the message. Let the electoral purge commence.” On Jan. 2, 2021, Sullivan tweeted, “F— The System-Time To Burn It All Down,” with an accompanying still from a TikTok video of him burning an American flag.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Sullivan, fitted with a ballistic vest, gas mask, and bull horn, joined rioters storming the U.S. Capitol. Sullivan joined the crowd pushing through several police barriers on the west side of the Capitol grounds, using the bull horn to encourage others to storm the building.

Sullivan’s actions and those of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election. His sentencing serves as a reminder of the consequences of engaging in violent and destructive behavior in our nation’s capital.