US Man Who Breached Senate Chamber During Capitol Riots Gets 8-Months In Jail

Paul Hodgkins, who was identified in photographs brandishing a Trump campaign flag in the Senate, had admitted obstructing congressional proceedings.

A Florida man who breached the US Senate chamber during the violent January 6 Capitol riots was jailed for eight months Monday, in the closely-watched first sentencing hearing for someone convicted of a felony over the attack. Paul Hodgkins, 38, illegally entered the Capitol -- the citadel of US democracy in Washington -- with eye goggles, rope and latex gloves as members of Congress gathered for a vote certifying the victory of president-elect Joe Biden, court documents said. Hodgkins, who was identified in photographs brandishing a Trump campaign flag in the Senate, had admitted obstructing congressional proceedings. The sentence is 10 months shorter than the Justice Department requested. Prosecutors acknowledged, however, that Hodgkins "did not personally engage in or espouse violence or property destruction."