OAN Staff Blake Wolf
6:03 PM – Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Rebecca Lavrenz, who is also known online as the “J6 Praying Grandma,” has been sentenced to six months of home confinement in addition to being ordered to pay a $100k fine in connection to the U.S. Capitol protest on January 6th.
Advertisement
Prosecutors were initially seeking a 10-month prison sentence, but Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui did not believe that was necessary. Instead, he decided Lavrenz should not profit off of her “egregious conduct,” ruling in favor of a $100,000 fine instead.
Lavrenz is one of the over 1,400 people who have been charged in relation to the 2021 protest.
Lavrenz has gained notoriety online for speaking out against the Department of Justice’s response to those charged in cases related to January 6th.
Along with the six month home confinement sentencing, Lavrenz is also required to stay off the internet during her house arrest after prosecutors accused her of “profiting off the celebrity of her conviction,” based on her media appearances.
Former President Donald Trump came to Lavrenz’s defense after her conviction in April, maintaining that she was “unfairly targeted” by the Justice Department. He also shared a link for people to donate to her legal fund.
“This whole situation is not just about me, it is about the people of the United States of America,” said Lavrenz.
Additionally, she reportedly claimed that she was at the U.S. Capitol “out of obedience to God,” and has said that her actions were a part of a larger cause.
Lavrenz was sentenced as one of the more mild offenders during the protests, as she did not actively engage in any violence or property destruction. However, Judge Faruqui told her in court that “it’s still a grave offense.”
“Outrageously, the government seeks to imprison this peaceful, nonviolent, elderly, retired, first-time offender for months in jail merely because Lavrenz has been forthright in informing her fellow Americans about the criminal justice system for January 6 defendants,” wrote her attorney, John Pierce.
Prosecutors claim that Lavrenz spent roughly ten minutes inside the Capitol building, chanting “It’s our house, you can’t take our house.”
During her trial, prosecutor Terence Park also maintained that there is “no question” that Lavrenz wanted to stop the legitimization of Joe Biden’s victory in 2020.
“She has all but promised to do it all over again,” said Parker.
Lavenz’s legal team reportedly plans to appeal the conviction and challenge the fine.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisements below