Michael Sparks, a 47-year-old man from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was the first to breach the Capitol building during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot and was sentenced to over four years in prison on Tuesday. He was found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, and several misdemeanor offenses earlier this year. Sparks had traveled to Washington with co-workers and attended Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6. Evidence presented at his trial showed that he was one of the first rioters to break into the Capitol building, climbing inside through a broken window and joining a group of men in pursuing a U.S. Capitol police officer up a flight of stairs while the mob shouted at the officer.
Leading up to the Jan. 6 riot, Sparks had expressed violent intentions online, writing on the social media site Parler, “We want a civil war to be clear.” He also posted on Facebook, “It’s time to drag them out of Congress. It’s tyranny.” Court documents revealed that Sparks had prior knowledge of Congress’ plans to certify the electoral votes. Following the riot, he wrote on Parler, “A new dawn is coming. Be ready. Just pray and trust in the Lord,” warning readers to be prepared for big events and power loss. During his sentencing, Sparks’ lawyer argued that the focus should not be on him being the first to enter the building, but rather on how long he was inside and what his actions were.
Prosecutors had requested a harsher sentence of 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release, citing Sparks’ forced entry into the building as sparking the interruption of the Electoral College vote count and threatening the peaceful transfer of power. Sparks’ defense attorney pushed for a sentence of one year under house arrest followed by three years of supervised release, emphasizing that Sparks never assaulted or threatened an officer and left the Capitol building 20 minutes after entering. Judge Timothy J. Kelly acknowledged that Sparks’ entry into the building had an emboldening effect on those around him and played a key role in the mob’s actions that day.
Sparks is one of over 1,260 people who have been charged for crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol. The Department of Justice sentenced him to 53 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and a $2,000 fine. Despite arguments from his defense attorney, the judge emphasized the significance of Sparks’ actions in the overall events of that day. Sparks’ case serves as a reminder of the consequences faced by individuals involved in the Capitol riot and the ongoing legal repercussions for those charged with various offenses related to the event.
