What seems like a good idea one moment can turn into your worst nightmare when the Feds come calling with felony charges.
Just ask the retired Arkansas firefighter who will spend a large chunk of his golden years in prison for putting his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk on January 6, 2021.
Richard “Bigo” Barnett probably regrets traveling to Washington, D.C., in the first place after being sentenced to 54 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper. After that, Bigo will get three years of supervised release and a $2,000 fine.
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He was accused of carrying a stun device into the Capitol. The photo of him sitting at Pelosi’s desk became one of the indelible images of the events of that day. He said he posed like that after photographers told him to “act natural.” It was only a matter of time before he would have to pay the piper for a terrible decision.
Here’s what the judge said during sentencing. “All the folks who follow ‘Bigo’ need to know the actions of January 6 cannot be repeated without some serious repercussions.”
Bigo left a note on Pelosi’s desk that day. Here’s how he described what happened.
“I did not steal it. I bled on it because they were macing me and I couldn’t f***ing see so I figured I am in her office. I got blood on her office. I put a quarter on her desk even though she ain’t f***ing worth it. And I left a note on her desk that says, ‘Nancy, Bigo was here you b***.’”
His attorney conceded his client made a series of horrible decisions, but he said the punishment didn’t fit the crime.
“They have literally made a federal case out of an act of stupidity that could have been dispensed with a ticket and a fine. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is the government that our forefathers warned us about.”
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