A federal judge sentenced Ridgefield resident Patrick McCaughey, 25, to 90 months of incarceration for his role in the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
It’s one of the longest sentences handed down to date for Jan. 6 defendants.
Judge Trevor McFadden’s sentence is less than the United States Department of Justice recommended, but longer than the defense requested.
Prosecutors recommended a sentence of 188 months’ incarceration (15.5 years).
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In a sentencing memorandum filed on April 7, prosecutors said their recommendation reflects the gravity of McCaughey’s conduct.
He was convicted in September on nine charges, seven of which are felonies, including assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers.
Prosecutors said McCaughey was on the Capitol grounds for more than an hour. They said he first taunted officers in the police line outside and was among the first rioters to scale the scaffolding, where he paused to take a selfie.
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Video entered into government evidence shows McCaughey using a stolen police riot shield to pin Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges in a doorway for more than two minutes while another rioter assaulted Hodges.
Although McCaughey did eventually alert police that Hodges was hurt, he is seen on video striking another officer with the shield, leading that officer to “deliver strikes with his baton against McCaughey,” according to the memorandum.
Prosecutors said McCaughey only retreated when he was sprayed with a chemical irritant.
The memo filed by McCaughey’s defense attorney tells a different story. It describes a man who was, “motivated by a misunderstanding as to the facts surrounding the 2020 Election.”
His attorney said McCaughey, “knew next to nothing about the 2020 election and listened to sources of information that were clearly false.”
One of those sources, according to the court documents, was McCaughey’s father, who the documents say encouraged his son to attend the Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.
The defense said McCaughey’s risk of reoffending is low since the circumstances that led to the Capitol riots “will likely not be repeated.”
McCaughey’s attorneys asked the judge to consider a 12-month sentence.
Prosecutors said McCaughey tried to downplay his actions during his testimony and argued for a strong sentence to deter him from attempting similar crimes in the future.
McCaughey has been in federal custody since his conviction in September 2022.
NBC Connecticut reached out to McCaughey’s attorneys for comment and has not received a response.
