Ex-Cop Who Responded To Pipe Bombs Sentenced In January 6 Case

Michael Riley, who was the first police officer to respond to the discovery of pipe bombs near the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, has been sentenced for obstruction in connection to the Capitol riot. Riley, who served on the police force for more than 25 years and has since retired, was sentenced to 120 days of home detention and two years of probation, and he was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine by a federal judge. The sentence is less severe than the 27 months in prison sought by prosecutors.

Riley was found guilty of obstruction for deleting Facebook messages with a Virginia fisherman who was sentenced to probation for his participation in the Capitol riot. The jury did not reach a verdict on an obstruction count related to Riley’s exchange with the fisherman, but he was penalized for deleting private messages after the individual shared that he was in contact with a Capitol Police officer and trying to create a cover story.

During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson stated that Riley’s conduct was “shocking” for a law enforcement officer, especially given that Riley had spent 25 years protecting the U.S. Capitol. In contrast, Riley’s lawyers noted that he was the first responder on January 6th and provided assistance to an injured officer on Capitol Hill during the riot.

The person or persons responsible for planting the pipe bombs discovered near the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee’s offices in D.C. have not been identified, and authorities have released footage of a masked suspect wearing a hoodie. A reward of up to $500,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest.

As of now, more than 1,020 arrests have been made in connection to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, with 533 defendants pleading guilty, including four to a federal charge of seditious conspiracy.