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The Arkansas man was convicted by a jury in January of eight criminal counts, including multiple felonies, for his role in the Capitol riot.
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors say an Arkansas man captured in a viral image with his feet up on a desk in the Speaker of the House’s office suite on Jan. 6 should serve more than seven years in prison for his willingness to do “whatever it takes” to prevent former President Donald Trump from leaving power.
A jury deliberated for less than three hours in January before convicting Richard “Bigo” Barnett, 62, of Gravette, Arkansas, of eight criminal counts – including felony charges of civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding and entering and remaining in a restricted building with a dangerous weapon. Jurors rejected Barnett’s testimony claiming he’d inadvertently wound up in the Speaker’s office suite while looking for a restroom and that the 950,000-volt stun gun walking stick he’d brought to D.C. – and repeatedly showed off in a hotel bar the night before the riot – had been inoperable by the time he reached the Capitol. Prosecutors argued Barnett had come to D.C. “prepared for violence.”
Since his arrest just days after the riot, Barnett has been outspoken in his criticisms of the Justice Department and the police who defended the Capitol – who he accused at trial of assaulting protestors and instigating the attack on the building. Prosecutors said he had also tried to profit from his notoriety and entered a recorded jailhouse phone call into evidence showing he’d suggested copyrighting the wording of the crude note he’d left behind for then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reading, “Hey Nancy, Bigo was here, b*****.” In their memo, prosecutors said Barnett also sold autographed photographs of himself with his feet up on what he thought was Pelosi’s desk.
The DOJ’s memo also identified more than a half dozen instances of what it described as Barnett’s “willingness to lie under oath” during his trial, including contradicting information he’d given to the FBI by testifying that his cell phone had fallen off a truck.
“When confronted with evidence undercutting his claims on the stand, Barnett repeatedly deflected, chalking up the contradictions in his testimony to ‘head trauma’ (for which there was no evidence),” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors estimated Barnett’s recommended sentencing guideline at 70-87 months and asked U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to give him the upper end of that range, citing his “brazen disrespect for every form of authority.”
“Barnett recognizes no authority but himself and is willing to do ‘whatever it takes’ to get what he wants, even if it requires haring others, stealing, or breaking the law,” prosecutors wrote.
Barnett was represented at trial by defense attorneys Joseph McBride, Jonathan Gross and Bradford Geyer. McBride was allowed to withdraw from the case in April following Barnett’s conviction on all counts. As of Thursday afternoon, Gross and Geyer had not yet filed their sentencing memo.
Barnett was scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday afternoon by Cooper in D.C. District Court.
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