Jan. 6 rioter who tried to join Russian Army sentenced to prison for defying probation

Source: The Hill

12/14/24 1:45 PM ET


An Army veteran was sentenced Friday to six months in prison for violating probation, months after being charged for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, The Associated Press reported.

Kevin Loftus, 56, was attempting to leave the country and join the Russian Army in its nearly three-year-long war against Ukraine. Loftus was arrested in Iowa in October, prosecutors explained in a six-page memo filed Wednesday. He was originally sentenced to 36-months of probation for “unlawful parading, demonstrating and picketing” inside the Capitol building.

Loftus’ plan was to fly to Russia in late October, obtain a temporary residency and eventually get in touch with a volunteer military corps there.

While boarding a flight to Tbilisi, Georgia from Turkey, the Jan. 6 defendant was stopped by gate agents after Turkish Airlines identified a “security flag” connected to him. He then went back to his residence.A few days later, Loftus attempted to drive — without the court’s approval — and was arrested by the FBI on Oct. 31 in Iowa, according to officials.

Read more: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5040656-kevin-loftus-jan-6-rioter-prison-sentence-probation-violation/