WASHINGTON D.C. - Ray Epps, the only January 6 protester who told people to go into the Capitol, has been officially sentenced to one-year probation, $500 restitution, and 100 hours of community service.
The average sentence a January 6 defendant has received is 3 years. For those who receive guilty pleas like Epps did, it has been two years.
Fox News Channel and other media outlets amplified theories that Epps, 62, was an undercover government agent who helped incite the Capitol riot to entrap Trump supporters. Epps filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News last year, saying the network was to blame for spreading baseless claims about him.
The ordeal has forced Epps and his wife to sell their property and businesses and flee their home in Queen Creek, Arizona, according to his lawyer.
“He enjoys no golf, tennis, travel, or other trappings of retirement. They live in a trailer in the woods, away from their family, friends, and community,” attorney Edward Ungvarsky wrote in a court filing.
In the days following the January 6 riot, the FBI had Epps' face on a wanted list. However, days later, they removed his face from the wanted list, and he did not face charges until just recently.