MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Millington, Tennessee man who participated in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol last year will spend more than five years behind bars.
Ronald Sandlin, 35, was sentenced Friday in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. He also faces three years of supervised release and a $2,000 restitution payment.
Court documents show Sandlin joined two other men — Nathaniel DeGrave and Josiah Colt – who planned to travel to Washington for a “Stop the Steal” rally following the 2020 presidential election. The trio joined others who federal authorities say disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress.
According to the a news release from the Department of Justice in the Western District of Tennessee:
“Sandlin, DeGrave, and Colt then traveled together to the Capitol wearing protective gear, including gas/face masks, helmets, and shin guards. Sandlin was armed with a knife, while DeGrave carried bear spray. The trio then marched towards the Capitol. After arriving on the Capitol grounds, the men scaled dismantled bike barricades and past law enforcement officers, pushing past members of the crowd to get closer to the Capitol Building. Sandlin repeatedly yelled things such as “we’re not here to spectate anymore,” “the time to talk is over,” and “if you’re not breaching the building, move out of the way.”
“The three men entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace door, at approximately 2:35 p.m. While inside, Sandlin and DeGrave pushed against officers guarding an exterior door to the Capitol Rotunda, slowly forcing the door open and letting a mob stream inside. Sandlin shouted at the officers, “you’re going to die, get out of the way,” before later grabbing an officer’s helmet.
“The three men then went together up a set of stairs and to a hallway outside the Senate Chamber. Sandlin incited others in the mob to prevent U.S. Capitol Police officers from locking the doors to the Senate Gallery, shouting “grab the door.” He began shoving officers in an attempt to keep the doors open. As he did this, his hand made contact with the side of an officer’s head. The trio and dozens of other rioters then gained access to the Senate Gallery, where Sandlin recorded a selfie-style video with his cellphone, exclaiming: “We took it. We did it.”
“After leaving the Senate Gallery, Sandlin smoked a marijuana joint in the Rotunda of the Capitol. He also stole a book from a desk in a Senate-side office, which he later described to Colt as a “souvenir.” He also picked up an oil painting from the Capitol and slung it over his shoulder before others in the mob took it off his shoulder. He finally exited the Capitol at approximately 3:16 p.m.”
Colt, 35, of Meridian, Idaho, pleaded guilty on July 14, 2021, to obstruction of an official proceeding. DeGrave, 33, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty on June 27, 2022, to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. Both are awaiting sentencing.
In the 23 months since Jan. 6, 2021, close to 900 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol