Former Army reservist, ‘avowed white supremacist’ sentenced to 4 years in prison for Jan. 6 attack
A former Army reservist and “avowed white supremacist” has been sentenced to four years in prison for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
Timothy Louis Hale-Cusanelli was sentenced to 48 months in prison for a felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding and four related misdemeanors, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) release.
The misdemeanors are entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in the building, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
An NPR analysis shortly after the insurrection found that nearly 1 in 5 people charged with crimes related to the riot at the time had some history in the military.
Court documents revealed that Hale-Cusanelli, a former Navy contractor who worked at a naval weapons station and had a “secret” security clearance, is an “avowed white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer.”
The DOJ release states that Hale-Cusanelli came to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 and joined a group of rioters who broke through a police line trying to secure the Capitol grounds. He told fellow rioters to “advance” on the Capitol and continued to order it after they went inside the building.
Once inside, he made “harassing and derogatory” statements toward the Capitol Police officers, telling them that a “revolution” was coming, according to the release. He stayed inside the building for about 40 minutes.
Hale-Cusanelli told a friend days after the insurrection that he was hoping for a civil war and that the “tree of liberty must be refreshed with the blood of patriots and tyrants,” according to the DOJ.
He was arrested nine days after the riot and found guilty on May 27 of that year.
The court found during his sentencing that he obstructed justice when he made statements under oath and enhanced his sentence as a result. He will be placed on three years of supervised release after his prison sentence is complete and must also pay a $2,000 fine.
Prosecutors said in a court filing that Hale-Cusanelli made antisemitic remarks while working at the naval station in New Jersey. Once Navy officer told prosecutors that Hale-Cusanelli spoke “constantly” about Jewish people and said “Hitler should have finished the job.”
He was reportedly known for having a “Hitler mustache.” He was demoted and discharged in October.
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