A man from Washington state who used a megaphone to direct a mob’s attack on police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol has been sentenced to over seven years in prison. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth stated that videos showed Taylor James Johnatakis playing a leading role during the riot on January 6, 2021. Johnatakis led other rioters in charging against a police line, giving commands over his megaphone, and shouting instructions on how to overpower officers, according to the judge.
The judge said, “In any angry mob, there are leaders and there are followers. Mr. Johnatakis was a leader. He knew what he was doing that day,” before sentencing him to seven years and three months behind bars.
Representing himself with a standby attorney, Johnatakis has expressed rhetoric aligned with the anti-government “sovereign citizen” movement. During his sentencing, he asked the judge questions, including, “Does the record show that I repent for my sins?” Lamberth, referring to some of Johnatakis’s statements as nonsensical, replied, “I’m not answering questions here.”
Prosecutors recommended a nine-year prison term for Johnatakis, who works as a self-employed septic systems installer.
“Johnatakis was not just any rioter; he led, organized, and encouraged the assault of officers at the U.S. Capitol on January 6,” prosecutors stated in a court filing.
After a trial last year in Washington, D.C., a jury found him guilty of felony charges.
‘It’s over,’ he shouted at Trump supporters
Johnatakis, 40, from Kingston, Wash., carried a megaphone on his back as he marched to the Capitol from then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on January 6.
“It’s over,” he yelled at the crowd of Trump supporters. “Michael Pence has voted against the president. We are down to the nuclear option.”
Johnatakis was among the first rioters to pursue a group of police officers retreating up stairs outside the Capitol. He urged other rioters to “pack it in” and get ready to attack. Johnatakis shouted “Go!” before he and others pushed a metal barricade into a line of police officers and grabbed an officer’s arm.
“The crime is complete,” Johnatakis posted on social media several hours after leaving the Capitol.
He was arrested in February 2021 and has been in jail since November 2023, following his conviction on seven counts, including obstruction of the January 6 joint session of Congress that confirmed Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral win. The jury also found him guilty of assault and civil disorder charges.
Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson has vowed to publicly release thousands of hours of Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot footage with one caveat: The faces of participants will be blurred.
Justice Department prosecutor Courtney Howard mentioned that Johnatakis has not shown genuine remorse or taken responsibility for his actions on January 6.
“He is going as far as to portray himself as a persecuted victim,” she said.
800 people sentenced so far
Lamberth stated that he received over 20 letters from Johnatakis, his relatives, and friends. Some of Johnatakis’s supporters do not seem to be fully aware of the extent of his actions on January 6, the judge added. Lamberth mentioned that he would have the court clerk’s office send them all copies of his prepared statements from the sentencing hearing.
“There is no place in our country for this kind of political violence,” Lamberth declared.
Last April, Lamberth ordered a psychologist to assess Johnatakis and determine if he was mentally competent to stand trial. The judge ultimately found that Johnatakis could comprehend the proceedings and assist in his defense.
Approximately 1,350 individuals have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Over 800 of them have been sentenced, with about two-thirds receiving prison sentences ranging from several days to 22 years.
