Far-right streamer 'Baked Alaska' sentenced to 30 days in jail in Scottsdale assault case
Far-right social media personality Tim "Baked Alaska" Gionet, who is facing federal charges related to the U.S. Capitol riot, was sentenced Thursday in a separate criminal case to 30 days in jail for assaulting a Scottsdale bartender in December 2020.
An attorney for the 34-year-old internet streamer said he intended to immediately file an appeal, which would temporarily stop the jail sentence.
Scottsdale city prosecutors had asked for six months in jail, the maximum allowed under state law, calling Gionet "lost" and "a danger to society" after he was found guilty of misdemeanor charges of assault, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.
But Scottsdale City Court Judge James Blake said six months wasn't appropriate because this was Gionet's first criminal conviction. Blake said he went "back and forth" during the court hearing as to whether to sentence him to 60 or 90 days in jail and ultimately settled on 30 days.
"I believe jail is appropriate under the circumstances due to the violence that occurred, and there was no need for it," he said.
A former rapper and commentator for BuzzFeed, a news and entertainment website, Gionet is a social media personality known for livestreaming edgy, aggressive videos.
His attorney, Zachary Thornley, has described the confrontation at Giligin's Bar in Old Town Scottsdale as self-defense. But prosecutors portrayed Gionet as an attention-seeker, desperate for internet clicks, with a history of antagonizing people by filming them when they don't want to be filmed.
Gionet did not speak at Thursday's sentencing hearing. The bar employee he was found guilty of assaulting spoke briefly and asked the judge to not impose any jail time. Gionet's mother, Susanne Gionet, described her son to the judge as someone who grew up making films at a young age, someone who cares about other people.
"He's been a delight," she said.
On the night of the assault, she said her son was getting thrown out of a bar and "was talking back and forth. That's his strength — to talk back and forth with people. It got out of hand, and he got traumatized," she said.
Scottsdale police reports say Gionet and three friends were inside the bar livestreaming video and making customers uncomfortable on the evening of Dec. 10, 2020. Security told them to leave.
Police said the three friends left. But Gionet refused and got into an argument with an employee on his way out, police said. The employee pushed him out the door, and Gionet pulled out a can of pepper spray and sprayed him twice in the face.
Video reviewed by Scottsdale police showed a stream of liquid sprayed in the employee's face, causing him to flinch and turn around. When the employee turned back to face Gionet, the livestreamer sprayed a second burst into his eyes and face.
When police arrived, the employee was unable to open his bloodshot, watery eyes. His face was flushed red, similar to a sunburn, police said.
Gionet told police he believed the employee was advancing toward him. He said he feared for his life and sprayed him after being shoved.
He was arrested after being interviewed, and a release agreement he signed prohibited him from leaving the state without court permission. But a month later — without telling the court — he went to Washington, D.C., where he was seen interviewing people on the street on Jan. 5, the night before the U.S. Capitol riot. The next day, he livestreamed from inside the historic building as thousands of people overran Capitol Hill and drove lawmakers into hiding.
He was arrested on federal charges of knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on U.S. Capitol grounds. He is one of more than 700 people who face criminal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 riot.
A federal complaint against Gionet alleges he entered the U.S. Capitol between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Jan. 6 and livestreamed video for 27 minutes on the DLive platform. He said he was documenting the event.
The complaint alleges Gionet is repeatedly heard encouraging people not to leave. The video shows him entering a congressional office, sitting on a couch and placing his feet on a table.
His attorney has argued in court records the livestreamer was acting as a member of the press when he entered the Capitol.
"He did not arrive in Washington DC with an agenda other than to film what was taking place," Thornley, his attorney, wrote to the court. He said video footage will show Gionet did not engage in violence and told others not to break or vandalize anything. He said his client left the building when he was told to go.
Gionet has remained out of custody while facing federal charges. But he has twice been threatened with jail. In June, he had additional release conditions imposed after having three interactions with Valley law enforcement over six days. He is prohibited from having weapons and is required to report any interaction he has with law enforcement to his pretrial services officer.
At the time of his arrest, Gionet listed as his residence a home owned by his parents in Queen Creek. Recent court filings say he is leasing a residence in Clearwater, Florida.
In City Court on Thursday, prosecutors played several videos of Gionet's livestreams, including one where he tells his followers that his next court date is Jan. 13 and that he is "sick of paying for flights to Arizona."
He says his attorney intends to appeal the case, which will put the sentence on hold.
"They can't force me to serve whatever sentence they give," he said in the video.
Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8072. Follow her on Twitter @anneryman.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Far-right streamer 'Baked Alaska' sentenced to 30 days in jail
