A Virginia man was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison for assaulting law enforcement officers during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Lewis Wayne Snoots, 59, of Louisa, Virginia, received his sentence today from U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich, who also imposed 36 months of supervised release and ordered him to pay $98,927.18 in restitution, including $2,000 to the Architect of the Capitol and $96,927.18 to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Snoots pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, a felony charge stemming from his participation in the violent breach of the Capitol, which temporarily disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
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According to court documents, Snoots joined a mob that stormed the Lower West Terrace Tunnel of the Capitol around 3:14 p.m. on January 6. Wearing a gas mask, he forced his way to the front of a police line formed by United States Capitol Police (USCP) and MPD officers defending against the rioters.
Prosecutors detailed how Snoots helped fellow rioters overpower officers by forcefully pushing against a USCP riot shield. When officers attempted to regain control of the shield, Snoots passed it back into the crowd, further enabling the violent clash.
At approximately 3:18 p.m., another rioter grabbed an MPD officer by the neck and dragged him into the crowd. Snoots was seen placing his hand on the officer’s back and physically restraining him, which prosecutors argued hindered the officer’s ability to defend himself. The officer was subsequently tased, assaulted, and robbed of his badge and radio by the mob. The violent attack left the officer with severe injuries, including burns from repeated taser shocks, loss of consciousness for over two minutes, and long-term physical and cognitive challenges.
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Following the attack, Snoots was recorded giving a video interview in which he expressed defiance and anger, stating, “They have tear-gassed our ass off of the Capitol steps, but it’s not over. What they don’t understand is it’s just starting.”
The FBI arrested Snoots on September 5, 2023, following an extensive investigation that included video footage and witness accounts. The prosecution argued that his actions were deliberate and contributed to the chaos and violence that marked the Capitol riot.
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