WASHINGTON — A western Washington man has been sentenced to over seven years in prison for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Taylor James Johnatakis, of Kingston, was found guilty of seven charges including three felonies in November 2023. He was convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, as well as misdemeanor charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a restricted area, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building and engaging in physical violence in the grounds of the Capitol building.
Johnatakis, 40, was sentenced to 87 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by a U.S. District judge in Washington, D.C.
Court documents say Johnatakis posted on social media leading up to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, posting that he wanted to travel to the nation's capitol to "change the course of history" the day prior.
After the "Stop the Steal" rally, Johnatakis posted a video of himself on social media where he talked about marching to the Capitol and said, "Maybe we'll break down the doors," court documents say.
Prosecutors say Johnatakis eventually got himself to the front of the crowd pushing up the southwest stairs of the Capitol to confront the retreating police officers. Armed with a megaphone, court documents say Johnatakis directed rioters to push bike racks toward the officers. This caused at least one police officer to be injured, prosecutors say.
Johnatakis turned himself in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Feb. 11, 2021, in Kingston.
In his sentencing notes, Judge Royce C. Lamberth expressed appreciation for Johnatakis showing remorse in the courtroom but called out the fact that he has appeared on podcasts and written letters that downplay his role in the events, as well as the incident itself as a whole.
"These comments suggest that Mr. Johnatakis sought to mislead the Court and the jury when he repeatedly expressed his contrition for his actions on January 6, for instance by asking witnesses to 'please accept my sincere apology for my role in the events of that day,'" wrote the judge.
"Moreover, these remarks leave no doubt that Mr. Johnatakis, unlike many January 6 defendants sentenced by the Court, does not accept responsibility for his actions and does not show true remorse. Indeed, he did not do so today."
Per the FBI's release, more than 1,358 people have been charged for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol. Johnatakis was one of over 480 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, the FBI said.