WASHINGTON – A St. Augustine man who pleaded guilty to Capitol riot charges was sentenced Friday to the maximum punishment of 5 years (60 months) in federal prison and was ordered to pay more than $2,900 in restitution.
Anthony Sargent must also serve 3 years of probation after his prison term and pay $220 in cour costs.
Sargent was captured on camera among the crowd seen pushing on the outer doors of the Capitol building during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
Sargent, who was arrested in September 2021, pleaded guilty to one felony count of civil disorder and six misdemeanors outlined in a 12-page criminal complaint.
According to court documents, Sargent joined with others in objecting to Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over then-President Donald Trump. A mob stormed the Capitol to try to stop Congress from certifying election results for Biden over Trump, authorities have said, and five people died in the violence.
According to the criminal complaint, several videos show Sargent attempting to breach the north entrance to the Capitol. In the video, he has a green military tactical-like backpack and is wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.
Later in the video, Sargent emerges from a cloud of white smoke after leaving the Capitol building.
Additional video footage shows Sargent twice throwing a rock-like object toward the inner doors of the entrance.
Later that day, Sargent physically separated a law enforcement officer from a rioter and prevented the officer from apprehending the person, prosecutors said.
More than 1,000 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for alleged crimes related to the Capitol breach, according to officials. More than 350 people have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Among those arrested are more than 90 people from Florida -- more than any other state.