Ray Epps, a target of Jan. 6 conspiracy theories, gets a year of probation for his Capitol riot role [View all]
Source: Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) A man targeted by right-wing conspiracy theories about the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced on Tuesday to a year of probation for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by a mob of fellow Donald Trump supporters.
Ray Epps, a former Arizona resident who was driven into hiding by death threats, pleaded guilty in September to a misdemeanor charge. He received no jail time, and there were no restrictions placed on his travel during his probation, but he will have to serve 100 hours of community service. He appeared remotely by video conference and wasnt in the Washington, D.C., courtroom when Chief Judge James Boasberg sentenced him.
Epps sentencing took place in the same building where Trump was attending an appeals court hearing as the former presidents lawyers argued hes immune from prosecution on charges he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost.
Fox News Channel and other right-wing media outlets amplified conspiracy theories that Epps, 62, was an undercover government agent who helped incite the Capitol attack to entrap Trump supporters. Epps filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News last year, saying the network was to blame for spreading baseless claims about him.
-snip-
BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Updated 11:53 AM EST, January 9, 2024
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/ray-epps-conspiracy-theory-capitol-riot-fbbfca2fc1c13c439fca7d460237934c