Current:Home > NewsAppeals court upholds conviction of former Capitol police officer who tried to help rioter-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Appeals court upholds conviction of former Capitol police officer who tried to help rioter
View Date:2024-12-23 18:24:51
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the conviction of a former U.S. Capitol police officer who tried to help a Virginia fisherman avoid criminal charges for joining a mob’s attack on the building that his law-enforcement colleagues defended on Jan. 6, 2021.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the government’s evidence against Michael Angelo Riley “readily supports” his conviction on an obstruction charge.
Riley, a 25-year police veteran, argued that prosecutors failed to prove a grand jury proceeding was foreseeable or that he deleted his Facebook messages to affect one. The panel rejected those arguments as “flawed.”
“Riley was a veteran Capitol Police officer concededly aware of the role of grand juries in the criminal process, and his own messages showed he expected felony prosecutions of unauthorized entrants into the Capitol building on January 6,” Judge Cornelia Pillard wrote.
In October 2022, a jury convicted Riley of one count of obstruction of an official proceeding but deadlocked on a second obstruction charge. In April 2023, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Riley to two years of probation and four months of home detention.
Riley, a Maryland resident, was on duty when a mob attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. That day, Riley investigated a report of an explosive device at Republican National Committee headquarters and helped an injured officer.
The following day, Riley read a Facebook post by Jacob Hiles, a fisherman he knew from YouTube videos. Hiles wrote about his own participation in the riot and posted a video of rioters clashing with police.
Riley privately messaged Hiles and identified himself as a Capitol police officer who agreed with his “political stance.”
“Take down the part about being in the building they are currently investigating and everyone who was in the building is going to be charged. Just looking out!” Riley wrote.
Riley deleted their private messages after Hiles told him that the FBI was “very curious” about their communications, according to prosecutors.
Hiles pleaded guilty in September 2021 to a misdemeanor charge related to the Capitol riot and was later sentenced to two years of probation.
veryGood! (81)
Related
- Bankruptcy judge questioned Shilo Sanders' no-show at previous trial
- MLB power rankings: Late-season collapse threatens Royals and Twins' MLB playoff hopes
- Kmart’s blue light fades to black with the shuttering of its last full-scale US store
- Why playing it too safe with retirement savings could be a mistake
- Texas now tops in SEC? Miami in trouble? Five overreactions to college football Week 11
- Man pleads guilty to Michigan killing that stoked anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric
- Kristen Bell Says She and Dax Shepard Let Kids Lincoln, 11, and Delta, 9, Roam Around Theme Park Alone
- Mark Robinson vows to rebuild his staff for North Carolina governor as Republican group backs away
- 4 charged in Detroit street shooting that left 2 dead, 5 wounded
- US Naval Academy says considering race in admissions helps create a cohesive military
Ranking
- What are the best financial advising companies? Help USA TODAY rank the top U.S. firms
- Hundreds sue over alleged sexual abuse in Illinois youth detention centers
- 'Emily in Paris' star Lucas Bravo is more than a heartthrob: 'Mystery is sexy'
- Chevrolet trucks and SUVs with Google Maps will cost an extra $300 per year
- When do new episodes of 'Cobra Kai' Season 6 come out? Release date, cast, where to watch
- Alsobrooks presses the case for national abortion rights in critical Maryland Senate race
- Doja Cat Shuts Down Joseph Quinn Engagement Rumors With One Simple Message
- Review: Zachary Quinto medical drama 'Brilliant Minds' is just mind-numbing
Recommendation
-
Who will be in the top 12? Our College Football Playoff ranking projection
-
Jill Biden and Al Sharpton pay tribute to civil rights activist Sybil Morial
-
Doja Cat Shuts Down Joseph Quinn Engagement Rumors With One Simple Message
-
Jennifer Aniston’s Ex Brad Pitt Reunites With Courteney Cox for Rare Appearance Together
-
Shawn Mendes quest for self-discovery is a quiet triumph: Best songs on 'Shawn' album
-
Online overseas ballots for Montana voters briefly didn’t include Harris as a candidate
-
Harris is more popular than Trump among AAPI voters, a new APIA Vote/AAPI Data survey finds
-
Florida police investigate whether an officer used excessive force in shoving a protester