Leo Brent Bozell IV Sentenced to Nearly Four Years for Capitol Riot!

WASHINGTON – On Friday, the son of a well-known conservative activist received a sentence of almost four years in prison for what the prosecution described as his “relentless” attack on the US Capitol, during which he broke through a glass, pursued a policeman, and entered the Senate chamber.

During the siege on January 6, 2021, Leo Brent Bozell IV, 44, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, was one of the first rioters to enter the Capitol and one of the first to reach the Senate floor.

L. Brent Bozell III, Bozell’s father, established the Parents Television Council, the Media Research Center, and other conservative media institutions.

Just before receiving a sentence of three years and nine months in prison from U.S. District Judge John Bates, the younger Bozell turned to apologize to two Capitol police officers seated in the courtroom gallery. In addition, he said that he had “put a stain on my family forever” to his wife and parents.

He remarked, “I don’t recognize that person from the videos.” “I have no idea what I was thinking.”

According to Bates, Bozell did not act spontaneously when he stormed the Capitol. The judge stated that he had planned to visit the Capitol on January 6 and had prepared for violence on that day.

The court remarked, “You had plenty of chances to stop doing what you were doing.”

Bozell was recommended to serve 11 years and 8 months in jail by the prosecution. They claimed that although he participated in or led other rioters in breaching police lines at various points both inside and outside the Capitol, he launched “relentless and sustained attacks” on law officers.

Prosecutors noted, “On January 6, there were few rioters who were involved in as many pivotal breaches as Bozell.” Bozell’s release was granted by the judge, and he will have to go to prison at a later date. When Bozell heard his punishment, he thanked the judge.

In February 2021, Bozell was taken into custody. Part of the reason an FBI informant identified Bozell was able to identify him was the “Hershey Christian Academy” sweater he was wearing on January 6.

Before finding Bozell guilty of ten offenses, including disrupting the joint session of Congress on January 6 to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory, Bates heard testimony without the presence of a jury.

Following then-President Donald Trump’s January 6 “Stop the Steal” demonstration outside the White House, Bozell marched to the Capitol and joined a crowd that jumped a police line.

Bozell broke the Senate Wing Door windowpane with a metal item. Bozell joined other rioters in pursuing Eugene Goodman, a Capitol Police officer, up a staircase to a location where additional cops approached the group after Bozell climbed through the broken glass.

Bozell carried an unknown thing out of the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the time. Later, he went into the Senate gallery and turned a C-SPAN camera so that it was facing away from the audience and could not capture footage of protesters looting the chamber. He also stood on the Senate floor for a few minutes.

Before being led out by police, Bozell explored the Capitol for about an hour, visiting over a dozen different areas and going through at least seven police lines, according to the prosecution.

The prosecution had pushed for a “terrorism enhancement” that would have greatly raised the suggested prison term range for Bozell. However, the augmentation was rejected by the judge, who stated that it “doesn’t make a lot of sense in this case.”

Eric Snyder, the defense lawyer, stated that Bozell does not deserve to be labeled a terrorist.

Snyder stated, “Bad things happen to good people.” “This is a decent person who committed a horrible act.”

In a letter to the court, Bozell’s father defended his son and questioned the reasons behind the prosecution’s request for a terrorist enhancement.

He wrote, “I haven’t said anything for the last three and a half years because I didn’t want to upset the balance of justice.” But I’m unable to do so now that I’ve seen what the trial showed me, and more significantly, after finding out about this terrorist enhancement. I think there’s more going on here.

In connection with the Capitol disturbance, federal offenses have been brought against about 1,350 persons. Approximately two-thirds of the over 850 of those who have been sentenced have been given prison terms varying from a few days to 22 years.