A Tennessee capitol rioter who boasted “we took it, we did it” is going behind bars for a long, long time as he pleaded guilty to felony charges and faces at least 20 years in prison.
Ronald Sandlin, 35, of Millington, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to impede an official proceeding and assaulting, obstructing or impeding authorities in the District of Columbia.
According to court records, Sandlin and two co-conspirators, Nathaniel DeGrave and Josiah Colt, planned to disrupt the peaceful transition of presidential power, beginning in December 2020.
How it all started
On December 31, 2020, Sandlin announced on Facebook that he was assembling a caravan to travel to Washington and solicited contributions through a GoFundMe page.
On the same day, he, DeGrave and Colt had a secret Facebook chat to arrange for January 6. They talked about “shipping firearms” to Sandlin’s house in Tennessee, where they planned to rendezvous before their trip.
Sandlin shared a picture of Colt lying on a bed holding a handgun on Facebook on Jan. 4, 2021, before leaving for Washington with the description, “My fellow patriot sleeping ready for the boogaloo Jan 6.” Sandlin knew at the time that “boogaloo” meant civil war.
Sandlin live-streamed a video in which he called on “fellow patriots” to “capture the Capitol” on Jan. 6, after viewing a live television feed of the “Stop the Steal” rally near the Ellipse from a nearby restaurant. Sandlin declared four times in the video that “freedom is bought with blood.”
Then Sandlin, DeGrave and Colt traveled to the Capitol together while wearing safety gear such as gas/face masks, helmets, and shin guards.
DeGrave brought bear spray, while Sandlin carried a knife. The trio then moved in the direction of the Capitol. Upon entering the Capitol grounds, the men climbed over broken bike fences and pushed through police officers in order to get closer to the Capitol Building.
“The time to chat is over, we’re not here to watch any more,” and “if you’re not breaching the building, step out of the way” were among the many things Sandlin said frequently.
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Damages caused by Ronald Sandlin, Nathaniel DeGrave and Josiah Colt
At 2:35 p.m., the three men entered the Capitol through the door on the Upper West Terrace. In the Capitol Rotunda, Sandlin and DeGrave pushed against security officers to slowly force the door open. This allowed a mob to rush inside.
Before taking an officer’s helmet, Sandlin yelled at the officer, “You’re going to die, get out of the way.”
The three men then proceeded to climb several stairs and into a hallway outside the Senate Chamber. By chanting “grab the door,” Sandlin incited other members of the mob to prevent U.S. Capitol Police officers from securing the doors to the Senate Gallery.
To keep the doors open, he started shoving the police. By so doing, his hand brushed the side of an officer’s head. When the trio and a large number of other rioters entered the Senate Gallery, Sandlin used his iPhone to film a selfie-style video while yelling, “We took it. We did it.”
Sandlin smoked a marijuana joint in the Capitol Rotunda after exiting the Senate Gallery. Additionally, he stole a book from a desk in an office on the Senate side, which he later gave Colt as a “souvenir.” Additionally, he stole an oil painting from the Capitol and slung it over his shoulder before other mob members grabbed it off of him.
At at 3:16 p.m., he finally left the Capitol. Sandlin erased the images and conversations related to the Jan. 6 insurrection from his group chats with Colt, DeGrave, and others shortly after the riot. However, the die is cast.
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Consequences for the Tennessee capitol rioter(s)
On July 14, 2021, Colt, 35, of Meridian, Idaho, pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding. On June 27, 2022, DeGrave, 33, of Las Vegas, Nevada, entered a guilty plea. This is for conspiring to impede an official proceeding as well as to assaulting, resisting, or obstructing authorities. They are both awaiting sentencing.
On December 9, 2022, Sandlin will be sentenced. He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years behind bars for conspiring to hinder an official proceeding. He also faces up to eight (8) years for assaulting, resisting or obstructing certain officers. Potential financial penalties are also attached to the charges.
More than 870 people have been detained in almost all 50 states since January 6, 2021, for offenses connected to the breach of the US Capitol. In addition, more than 265 people were accused of assaulting or obstructing law enforcement.
See: California Sheriff’s Office banned 47 officers from making arrests, carrying firearms
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