Two Springfield women plead guilty to involvement in Jan. 6 riot at Capitol
Two Springfield women have pleaded guilty to being involved in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C.
Cara Hentschel and Mahailya Pryer pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol building. They now face a maximum possible sentence of six months in prison followed by five years of probation.
The two were also charged with other crimes relating to that day including knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, however, the other counts of their indictment were dismissed as a part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
In addition to dismissing the other counts, the plea agreement also states that the duo must cooperate with law enforcement in their further investigation into what happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Five others from Springfield have already been sentenced for their involvement in the Jan. 6 riots. Three men got probation; while a husband and wife (one of whom was a former teacher) were sentenced to home detention and community service.
More: Springfield couple sentenced to house detention for Jan. 6 riot at U.S. Capitol
Court documents say Hentschel and Pryer were charged based on an online tip to the FBI pointing investigators to Hentschel’s Facebook page where she had posted photos of her and Pryer at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
More: 2 more Springfield women charged in Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol
According to court documents, the pair admitted to investigators that they entered the Capitol building through the Rotunda doors as “alarms sounded.” The pair admitted to staying inside the building and walking around for roughly 12 minutes before leaving.
Nationwide, more than 700 people have been charged, and more than 100 people have pleaded guilty, in connection with the events of Jan. 6. Of those, most have received probation, but some have received incarceration sentences, the longest thus far being a Florida man who was sentenced to five years in prison.
More: 3 Springfield-area men get probation for roles in Jan. 6 Capitol riot
The riot on Jan. 6 left five people dead and forced lawmakers to seek shelter, including then-Vice President Mike Pence. Following that day, now-former President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives. They accused him of inciting the violence at the Capitol by pushing false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
Neither Hentschel’s nor Pryer’s attorney could be reached for comment by press time. The two are set to be sentenced in August.
Jordan Meier covers public safety for the Springfield News-Leader. Contact her at jmeier@news-leader.com, or on Twitter @Jordan_Meier644.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Jan. 6 Capitol riot: Two Springfield women plead guilty
