Montana man sentenced to 2 years in prison for January 6 Capitol riot

HELENA – Hank Muntzer of Dillon has been sentenced to 2 years in prison for his actions during the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Thursday, January 6, 2021.

In February, Munzter was convicted of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding. However, the obstruction of an official charge was later dismissed following a ruling by the US Supreme Court.

The Dillon resident was also found guilty of charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. .

Dillon man found guilty of civil disorder during Jan. 6 riot

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb sentenced Muntzer to 24 months in prison, with 12 months of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $2,000 in restitution.

Muntzer traveled from Montana to Washington DC to attend former President Trump’s rally and walked with the crowd to the Capitol after the speech.

Court documents show Muntzer posted videos on social media detailing the incident, which included seeing tear gas and pepper spray deployed by police.

Muntzer entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace Door at approximately 2:44 p.m. Video evidence shows him walking through the building and confronting officers in the Rotunda with other rioters.

According to Capitol Police, efforts were made to clear the Rotunda of rioters shortly after 3 p.m. that day. Video evidence presented at trial showed Muntzer with the remaining crowd.

Muntzer left the Capitol around 3:22 p.m. and spent a total of more than half an hour inside the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

The FBI identified Muntzer after social media posts and interviews he had done. He was arrested by the FBI on January 18, 2021.

As of January 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged with crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Nine of these individuals have direct ties to Montana.