Delaware man sentenced for joining US Capitol riots while on Tinder date

A Delaware man was sentenced to jail time for becoming a member of the January 6 Capitol assaults after seeing the violence unfold on a Tinder date’s tv.

Jeffrey Schaefer was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay a $2,000 positive on Friday after prosecutors argued that he participated within the Capitol assaults after watching the rioting occur on TV whereas at his date’s home.

In accordance with court docket filings, Schaefer was initially on the home of a lady he had met on Tinder on 6 January 2021 in Alexandria, Virginia, about 20 minutes outdoors of Washington DC.

Schaefer then reportedly noticed the assault on the Capitol on tv and referred to as an Uber to take him there so he may take part.

When Schaefer arrived on the Capitol, prosecutors say that he climbed a brief wall and gained entry to the Capitol constructing by way of a damaged window.

Schaefer stayed within the Capitol constructing for about 28 minutes, chanting with different rioters and taking a number of pictures and movies earlier than exiting.

“THIS IS UNREAL,” Schaefer wrote in a single Fb put up that included an image of rioters outdoors the Capitol.

Prosecutors pieced collectively Schaefer’s time spent within the Capitol based mostly on surveillance footage and social media posts he made main as much as the January 6 riots and whereas contained in the constructing.

Throughout an interview with the FBI in June 2022, Schaefer admitted that he was within the rioting earlier than going to see his Tinder date on 6 January.

Schaefer was arrested on 13 January 2022. On 2 August 2022, Schaefer pleaded responsible to 1 rely of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol constructing, with three extra expenses in opposition to him dropped as a part of a plea deal.

Throughout his protection argument, Schaefer’s lawyer, Joshua Insley, criticized Donald Trump and mentioned Schaefer was manipulated by lies concerning the legitimacy of the 2020 election, reported KSL-TV, an area information affiliate.

“Whereas Mr Schaefer accepts duty for his actions, he was guided and urged each step of the best way by no much less of an authority than the president of the US and a majority of Republican senators and congressman that continued to repeat the ‘huge lie’ that the election had been stolen by the Democrats,” Insley argued.