Missouri man sentenced to prison for Jan. 6 participation

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Missouri man who argued that cases against him and other participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol are unconstitutional was sentenced Tuesday to 45 days in jail.

Lloyd Casimiro Cruz Jr., 50, of Polo, was found guilty in January of two misdemeanors related to entering the U.S. Capitol, the Kansas City Star reported.

Cruz also must serve one year of supervised release and pay $500 restitution.

Before he was convicted, Cruz filed two petitions arguing that his rights to free speech and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures were being violated. The judge denied both motions.

Cruz rode his motorcycle to Washington D.C. for his sentencing and created social media sites to raise funds for his legal bills.

Prosecutors said Cruz entered the U.S. Capitol building with others and roamed around for about 7 minutes before leaving. They argued his lack of remorse and continued downplaying of the rioters’ actions justified a jail sentence. They had sought a 1-year prison sentence.