Prosecutor seeks prison term for Capitol riot suspect from Blackwood
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal prosecutor wants 45 days of incarceration for a Blackwood man who has acknowledged taking part in the U.S. Capitol riot.
Lawrence Earl Stackhouse also should be sentenced to 36 months of probation and 60 hours of community service, argues a sentencing memorandum filed in federal court for the District of Columbia.
A probation-only sentence would be “unwarranted,” Assistant U.S. Attorney April Ayers-Perez asserts in the 32-page filing.
Stackhouse admitted guilt in February to parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol Building, described in the filing as a Class B misdemeanor.
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The memo asserts Stackhouse, wearing a Proud Boys hoodie, was among the first to enter the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
It says he made his way into the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “after seeing and hearing the door being kicked in, even while the Speaker's terrified staffers sought shelter under the desks."
A public defender on Tuesday requested additional time to file a similar memorandum on behalf of Stackhouse, and to prepare for sentencing.
The filing, which was not opposed by the Justice Department, suggested Stackhouse’ sentencing date could be delayed from May 6 to June 17.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell has not yet ruled on the public defender's request.
Stackhouse was arrested — and fired from his job — in March 2021, after a witness told investigators his involvement in the riot was "common knowledge" at his workplace.
In seeking prison time, Ayers-Perez argues the South Jersey man’s action should be seen in the context of the larger upheaval at the Capitol.
She notes the rioters "threatened the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 Presidential election, injured more than one hundred police officers, and resulted in more than 2.7 million dollars’ of property damage."
“But for his actions alongside so many others, the riot likely would have failed,” argues Ayers-Perez.
Her memorandum also points to discrepancies between comments made by Stackhouse to FBI agents and evidence from his cell phone and the riot scene.
For instance, the memo says, Stackhouse told investigators he had no interest in the Proud Boys and wore the group’s hoodie only "because the phrase 'Trump 45' was written on the back in red, white and blue.”
But in a Dec. 28, 2020, text exchange with another accused rioter, Michael Gianos of Evesham, the memo says, Stackhouse asked about joining the far-right group.
It also contends Stackhouse falsely claimed police had allowed him into the Capitol, and that no damage had occurred in the area where he entered.
In contrast, the memo asserts, surveillance photos show broken windows and doors in that area.
It also notes that, following the riot, Stackhouse blamed police at the Capitol for “bringing the violence on themselves” and stated “(I) don’t regret a thing.”
Stackhouse, who agreed to pay $500 in restitution under a plea deal, faces a potential sentence of up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The Camden County man would be the second South Jersey resident to be sentenced for his role in the Capitol riot.
Robert Lee Petrosh of Mays Landing in March received a 10-day prison term and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
Petrosh, a party store operator, also was required to return two microphones stolen from a lectern during the Capitol siege.
A prosecutor had sought a 120-day prison term for Petrosh, while a defense attorney asked for probation.
Jim Walsh covers public safety, economic development and other beats for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Prison urged for Lawrence Stackhouse, South Jersey 1/6 riot suspect
