A militia group member, Dan Edwin Wilson, has been sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Wilson, a Kentucky electrician, planned with other far-right extremists to attack the Capitol and disrupt the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. Despite expressing regret for his actions, Wilson claimed he got involved with good intentions as he believed the country was in turmoil and still is, according to federal prosecutors. Judge Dabney Friedrich stated that Wilson’s intent to interfere with the certification of Biden’s electoral victory was clear, leading to his sentencing.
Wilson, who pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to impede or injure police officers and illegally possessing firearms, was recommended a five-year prison sentence by prosecutors. He communicated with members of the far-right Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters as he marched to the Capitol, identifying as an Oath Keeper and a member of the Gray Ghost Partisan Rangers, a Three Percenter militia. A co-defendant, David Scott Kuntz, who organized a Telegram group, has pleaded not guilty to riot charges and awaits trial.
Using the username “Live Wire,” Wilson posted in the Telegram group on November 9, 2020, expressing his willingness to sacrifice himself for the cause, whether it meant prison or death. Wilson believed the presidential election was stolen from Trump and attended the “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on January 6. While his defense attorney argued that Wilson did not plan an insurrection and was swept up in events that turned violent, prosecutors maintained that he had planned with others to use violence to keep Trump in office.
As he approached the Capitol, Wilson used the Zello app to communicate with members of the “STOP THE STEAL J6” group and provided updates on the unfolding riot. Photos show him wearing a gas mask and carrying what appeared to be bear spray inside the Capitol. Prosecutors stated that Wilson sought out violence and organized others to join him in his violent aims, describing his actions as an attack on the Capitol and the American system of government. Wilson was arrested in Kentucky in May 2023, where law enforcement seized firearms and ammunition from his home due to his criminal record that prohibited him from possessing them.
More than 1,400 individuals have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes, with approximately 950 convicted and sentenced. The sentences have ranged from a few days to 22 years in prison for two-thirds of those convicted. Wilson’s case highlights the ongoing repercussions of the Capitol riot and the efforts to hold those responsible for the violent attack accountable for their actions.
