Man who tried to enter Speaker’s Lobby on Jan. 6 sentenced to 7 years in prison

Julia Mueller
·1 min read
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A Texas man who tried to enter the Speaker’s Lobby at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced.

Christopher Grider, 41, was found guilty of nine misdemeanor and felony charges related to the riot in December and was sentenced Tuesday in Washington to 83 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $5,055 in restitution and a $812 fine.

“His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election,” the DOJ said in its release.

Grider approached and entered the Capitol with a crowd of rioters on Jan. 6, according to the release, and yelled, “Turn the power off!” as he pressed buttons on an electric box once inside, according to the release.

The Texas man then arrived at the hallway outside the House Chamber, which rioters were attempting to breach, and then moved to push on the Speaker’s Lobby door, authorities say.

Grider was also seen holding his phone over the stairway to capture footage of a woman who was fatally shot by police during the riot, according to the release.

More than 1,000 people have been arrested for crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach since the 2021 incident, according to the DOJ.

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