InfoWars host Owen Shroyer has been sentenced to 60 days in federal prison for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Despite not entering the Capitol building itself, Shroyer was found guilty and sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly. Shroyer expressed during his sentencing hearing that he was not part of any larger plan for illegal activity or violence on that day.
Federal prosecutors had requested a 120-day prison sentence for Shroyer, stating that he helped create the events of January 6. They argued that Shroyer spread election disinformation and violent rhetoric to a significant number of viewers in the months leading up to the riot. Shroyer’s attorneys, on the other hand, contended that the government was infringing on his First Amendment right to free speech.
Shroyer’s prosecution stems from a previous plea agreement he reached with federal prosecutors in 2019. He had agreed not to engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct on the United States Capitol Grounds as part of that agreement. Shroyer is one of the few participants charged in connection with the Capitol riot who did not enter the building or commit acts of violence or destruction.
Since the events of January 6, over 1,100 defendants have been charged, with more than 600 already sentenced. Of those sentenced, over 370 have been sent to prison. Judge Kelly recently sentenced former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio to a record-high 22 years in prison for his involvement in the Capitol riot.
The sentencing of Owen Shroyer has sparked debate over free speech rights and the criminalization of dissent.
