N.J. Capitol Rioter Should Get Six Years In Prison, Government Says

NEW JERSEY — The government in the case against Timothy Louis Hale-Cusanelli, the Jan. 6 Capitol rioter who was a former Navy contactor in New Jersey, is recommending a sentence of imprisonment of 78 months, court documents say.

In a sentencing memorandum, the U.S. Attorney said the term is a "mid-range sentence as calculated by the government." The office is also seeking restitution of $2,000, a fine, and the mandatory $100 special assessment for each count of conviction.

Hale-Cusanelli is expected to be sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Washington before Judge Trevor N. McFadden.

A federal jury found the former Army reservist and Navy contractor from Colts Neck guilty of felony obstruction and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Hale-Cusanelli, 32, was found guilty May 27 in U.S. District Court in Washington of a felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding, and four related misdemeanors, according to a statement from the U.S. Justice Department.

Hale-Cusanelli's criminal complaint details a history of extremist views, describing him as a "Nazi sympathizer who posts video opinion statements on YouTube proffering extreme political opinions and viewpoints" on his now-defunct channel.

Following the riots at the U.S. Capitol, authorities found copies of Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" and neo-Nazi aligned race war novel "The Turner Diaries" in Hale-Cusanelli's apartment, according to the criminal complaint.

The misdemeanors he was convicted of are: Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building, the federal Justice Department said in a statement after the verdict.

The insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has been linked to the deaths of six people, including a Capitol police officer from South River, and caused nearly $1.5 million in damage to the Capitol building, according to the Justice Department.

More than 150 individuals have been charged in connection with the Capitol Hill riots, including a former Monmouth County corrections officer.

His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to count the electoral votes related to the presidential election, the Justice Department said in the statement.