Israel James Easterday was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Easterday, a resident of Munfordville, Kentucky, was found guilty of six felonies and three misdemeanors by a jury last October. He was seen in photos inside the Capitol wearing a black beanie with the message “I ❤️ TRUMP” and carrying a Confederate battle flag. He was also captured on camera spraying Capitol police officers with pepper spray at point-blank range, causing injuries to multiple officers who were temporarily incapacitated.
Prosecutors described Easterday as smiling while using pepper spray to indiscriminately attack police officers during the chaos at the Capitol. He was identified with the help of publicly available photos and was subsequently arrested. Prior to his arrest, Easterday had been planning to go to the Bahamas with his fiancée to distribute free Bibles as part of missionary work. His attorneys described him as a young man from a sheltered background who posed no public threat and had no history of violence prior to the events of January 6.
Easterday’s attorney, Geremy Kamens, declined to comment on the case after his client was sentenced to 30 months in prison, 500 hours of community service, and a $2,000 fine. The Justice Department announced that over 1,385 individuals have been charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the Capitol, with efforts ongoing to identify and locate additional insurrectionists involved in the violence that day. Easterday, who was raised Amish and worked on his family’s farm until he left home at the age of 18, canceled his missionary work and turned himself in promptly upon learning of his arrest warrant.
The attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was fueled by false claims of election fraud and corruption, with many rioters believing that the election results had been rigged in favor of Joe Biden over Donald Trump. Easterday was among those who traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in protests against the election outcome. Photos taken during the attack showed him engaging in violent acts against law enforcement officers, leading to his arrest and subsequent trial. The sentencing of Easterday to federal prison serves as a reminder of the consequences faced by those involved in the insurrection and the ongoing efforts to hold all individuals accountable for their actions on that day.
