A Jan. 6 rioter who sprayed police officers with bear spray and bragged “we stormed them and we took Congress” was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison Thursday, federal prosecutors said.
McHugh, of Auburn, California, was sentenced to 78 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release, it said.
Sean McHugh appears to use bear spray outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Prosecutors said he “actively participated” in at least four attempts to breach perimeters police set up during the riot.
Allen wrote in a sentencing memo that McHugh "is not a rioter nor is he an insurrectionist" and that his actions were not planned.
McHugh maintains the use of bear spray was a spontaneous reaction after he saw his mother get hit by a projectile.
After the riot, he said on Facebook, "we stormed them and we took Congress," according to prosecutors. »
