A New Jersey electrician who repeatedly attacked police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison by a judge who called him a “threat to society.”
Christopher Joseph Quaglin argued and showed contempt with U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden before and after he was sentenced to one of the longest prison sentences of hundreds of Capitol storming cases.
“You are President Trump’s worst blunder of 2016,” Quaglin told McFadden, who was nominated to the Supreme Court in 2017 by then-President Donald Trump.
J6 rioter who hit police officer with batons sentenced to six years in prison
Quaglin, 38, was part of a mob of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol. He put a police officer in a chokehold, wrestling him to the ground and injuring him. Quaglin attacked other officers with a stolen police shield, a metal bike rack and pepper spray. He was wearing a “Make America Great Again” sweatshirt with an American flag motif and clashed with police officers for about three hours.
“What an outrage. What a disgrace,” the judge said.
In his incoherent comments in court, Quaglin complained about prison conditions and promoted conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 siege. He also disputed the characterization of the Jan. 6 attack as a riot.
“If I wanted to riot, I would have brought a long gun,” he said.
The judge, who interrupted him after a few minutes, told Quaglin his offensive comments had been a “really bad idea” before passing sentence.
“This is a camouflage trial,” Quaglin responded.
In this image from U.S. Capitol Police video, released and annotated by the Department of Justice in a sentencing memorandum, Christopher Quaglin is seen on police body camera footage at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Quaglin, a New Jersey electrician who repeatedly attacked police officers during the siege of the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. (Department of Justice via Associated Press)
Prosecutors had asked the judge to sentence Quaglin to 14 years in prison, saying he was one of the most violent rioters on Jan. 6 when a mob of Donald Trump supporters disrupted a joint session of Congress to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
A judge found Quaglin guilty of six counts of assaulting police officers, and prosecutors allege he punched or shoved a further 12 officers.
“Mr. Quaglin understood the constitutional importance of January 6th and intended to disrupt Congress’ certification of the 2020 election by any means necessary, including by violently assaulting police officers for hours,” prosecutors wrote.
Nearly 1,400 people have been charged with federal crimes in connection with the Capitol attack. Nearly 900 of them have been convicted, with roughly two-thirds receiving prison sentences ranging from a few days to 22 years. Only seven of the Capitol attack defendants received sentences longer than Quaglin’s, according to an Associated Press review of court records.
Judge McFadden found Quaglin guilty of 14 charges last July after an “agreed plea trial,” meaning a judge rules without a jury and based on facts agreed to by both sides before trial. In such a trial, a defendant can retain the right to appeal that is waived by a guilty plea.
Quaglin left his home in North Brunswick, New Jersey, to attend then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on January 6. He left the rally early and videotaped himself marching to the Capitol wearing a helmet, gas mask and backpack.
After Quaglin stormed barricades near the Peace Circle, he repeatedly attacked officers who were trying to hold back the rioters. Capitol Police Sergeant Troy Robinson was injured when Quaglin grabbed him by the neck and pinned him to the ground.
“Mr. Quaglin’s attack led to a brief scuffle,” prosecutors wrote. “As Mr. Quaglin was on top of Sergeant Robinson, other rioters rushed to Mr. Quaglin’s aid and pandemonium ensued.”
Prosecutors said Quaglin and other rioters “launched a relentless siege” on police officers in a tunnel on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol. He helped another rioter steal a shield from an officer. He sprayed pepper spray in the faces of several officers. Then he joined a group of rioters in a “whooping” charge against the police line.
“Quaglin conspired with other rioters to subject police officers to constant attack and was responsible for some of the most brutal attacks in the tunnels,” prosecutors wrote.
Quaglin later celebrated and bragged about his participation in the riot.
“It’s been a lot of fun. I’m a bit bruised and all, but I’m having a good time,” he said in a video posted to social media.
Attorney Christy Fulnecki argues that Quaglin has been denied proper medical care while he has been incarcerated for the past three years. Fulnecki also said that one of Quaglin’s former lawyers tried to coerce his client into accepting a plea bargain instead of an adversarial trial.
McFadden told Quaglin the actions on January 6 were “shocking and lawless.”
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“January 6 was not just an exception for you,” the judge said. “You saw it as something that defined you.”
