#Baltimore man sentenced to 15 months in prison over Jan. 6 riot

A Baltimore man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and pushing police officers, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

According to prosecutors, Narayana Rheiner pushed his way to the front of the crowd of rioters on Jan. 6 and encouraged the crowd to rush police lines at the Capitol Building. He then grabbed a police riot shield, causing an officer to fall down a flight of stairs, and later entered the Capitol Building.

When confronted by a police officer and told to go a different direction, Rheiner said, “It is the right way. We got to send a message,” prosecutors claim.

Rheiner was arrested after being recognized in a YouTube video of the Capitol riot, the FBI said.

He pleaded guilty to interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder last November. He was also sentenced to three years probation and levied a $2,000 fine.

More than 1,100 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riots, including over 350 for assaulting police, the Justice Department said.