The DOJ offered a plea deal to an alleged Capitol rioter who wore a 'Camp Auschwitz' sweatshirt on Jan. 6, as part of its effort to settle low-level cases
An alleged Capitol rioter who wore a "Camp Auschwitz" sweatshirt to the insurrection was offered a plea deal, per CNN.
The offer is part of the DOJ's effort to resolve several low-level cases stemming from the attack.
Robert Keith Packer was arrested in January and charged with two misdemeanors.
A Virginia man photographed wearing an anti-Semitic sweatshirt during the January 6 Capitol riot has been offered a plea deal as part of the Justice Department's attempt to resolve several low-level cases stemming from the riots, according to CNN.
Robert Keith Packer, who was photographed wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" sweatshirt in the Capitol, was arrested in January and charged with two misdemeanors, including entering and remaining in a restricted building and violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.
He pleaded guilty to both counts in February, but prosecutors on Tuesday said they have offered him a deal in exchange for his guilty plea, CNN reported.
While the federal government did not provide any additional details about the deal, several rioters facing similar lower-level charges in recent weeks have pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of illegally demonstrating inside the Capitol.
The Justice Department has offered multiple alleged insurrectionists who are not accused of any violence the opportunity to plead guilty to the single charge which carries a six-month jail sentence on the high end, though several defendants will likely spend less than that in jail.
Former prosecutors and legal experts told Insider's Madison Hall earlier this summer that early sentencing in the insurrection thus far suggests Capitol rioters who plead early and accept responsibility will likely receive a lighter sentence.
Hundreds of defendants are charged only with trespassing-style offenses, and the Justice Department is eager to settle those smaller incidents in the face of several more serious, higher-profile cases. Hundreds others face charges of assaulting police officers, bringing weapons into the Capitol, and conspiracy, and the government is gearing up for trials.
Stephen F. Brennwald, a lawyer representing Packer, told Insider any discussions regarding a plea are premature until he is able to review the case with his client.
"Once we have received all of the discovery, we will evaluate all of the evidence and make a decision thereafter," Brennwald said.
Packer's next hearing is scheduled for October.
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