Crime & Safety

Parrish Man Known As ‘Lectern Guy’ Gets 75 Days In Prison For Capitol Riot Charge: Report

A viral picture showed Parrish man Adam Johnson carrying U.S. House Speaker Pelosi's lectern during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.

A picture of Parrish man Adam Johnson carrying U.S. House Speaker Pelosi’s lectern during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot went viral.
A picture of Parrish man Adam Johnson carrying U.S. House Speaker Pelosi’s lectern during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot went viral. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

PARRISH, FL — One of the most recognizable faces of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, Adam Johnson — known to many simply as “Lectern Guy” because of a now-viral photo of him carrying U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern through the building — was sentenced Friday to 75 days in prison for his role in the riot.

He’ll get some credit for the weekend he spent in jail after his arrest. He’ll also have to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service, according to The Associated Press.

The Parrish resident was photographed smiling and waving as he carried Pelosi's lectern during the storming of the U.S. Capitol in support of President Donald Trump. He set the lectern down in the Capitol Rotunda during the riot and pretended to give speeches from it. The lectern was later found in the Red corridor of the Capitol's Senate wing.

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After the riot, Johnson bragged that his viral image “broke the internet” and that he was “finally famous,” prosecutors said. They argued that his actions at the Capitol “illustrate his sense of entitlement and privilege,” AP reported.


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Johnson pleaded guilty in November to entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds and told the court that he is thinking about writing a book about his experiences during the riot. According to his plea deal, he’s required to give up any compensation from any book, script, song, interview or other similar work for up to five years.

In court on Friday, he said that he’s “ashamed” of his actions during the U.S. Capitol breach, calling it “a very stupid idea,” according to reports.

He also said that he grabbed Pelosi’s podium after entering the building not because he wanted to harm her in any way but because he thought “it would make a good prop,” NBC News reported. He told the court that if he had run into the U.S. House speaker, he “would ask for a selfie with her, if anything.”

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