WASHINGTON, D.C. — An Oklahoma woman who entered the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021, riot and briefly walked through then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office was sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation.
Tricia LaCount, who wore a Donald Trump flag draped around her shoulders during the breach, pleaded guilty to trespassing in July. Prosecutors say LaCount entered the Capitol at 2:16 p.m., just minutes after rioters forced their way in through the Senate Wing Door, and left over an hour later at 3:30 p.m.
U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton, a George W. Bush appointee, handed down the sentence, which included no jail time. LaCount’s defense attorney argued that her actions were not premeditated, claiming she was “awed by the building’s architecture” and inadvertently ended up in Pelosi’s office.
Prosecutors identified LaCount through a tip from a Facebook friend who had seen videos LaCount posted of herself inside the Capitol. In one video, she described Pelosi’s office as “so gaudy,” noting the “massive chandelier” and “beautiful fireplace.”
LaCount was arrested in April 2023 and acknowledged her actions in court, though her defense maintained that she followed the crowd without a clear understanding of the building’s layout.
Her sentence has drawn scrutiny, with critics viewing it as lenient for participating in an event that disrupted a joint session of Congress.
Probation, not prison, for woman who entered Capitol during Jan. 6 riot.