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Rioters on January 6, 2021 inside the US Capitol
Photo: --- / dpa
Scores of people have already been convicted for taking part in the January 6, 2021 storming of the US Capitol.
Many had planned to take part in the coup attempt, but Delaware's Jeffrey Schaefer attended on a more spontaneous basis.
He even dumped a woman he had previously met online for this.
Schaefer has now been sentenced to 30 days in prison and a $2,000 fine.
The court found that he was initially staying at the home of a woman he met on Tinder the same day.
She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, about 20 minutes outside of Washington DC.
Schaefer saw the storming of the Capitol on TV on his date and called an Uber vehicle to get there and attend.
According to prosecutors, upon arriving at the Capitol, he scaled a wall and entered the Houses of Parliament through a broken window.
He stayed there for around half an hour, roaring with other rioters and taking several photos and videos before exiting the building.
During an FBI interrogation in June 2022, Schaefer admitted that he had been interested in the planned actions at the Capitol before meeting his Tinder date that day.
He was arrested in mid-January 2022 and in early August pled guilty to protesting at the Capitol.
Three more charges against him were dropped as part of a deal.
Schaefer's defense attorneys blamed former US President Donald Trump and "a majority of Republican senators and lawmakers," alleging his client was manipulated by lying about alleged voter fraud.
Nevertheless, Schaefer takes responsibility for his actions.
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