WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (UPI) — The man photographed with his feet on a desk in Nancy Pelosi‘s office on Jan. 6 was found guilty Monday on all eight counts for his role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
A Washington, D.C. jury reached that verdict in the trial of Richard “Bigo” Barnett, who brought a stun gun with him to the Capitol on Jan. 6, stole an envelope from a Pelosi-aide’s desk and left a letter for the former speaker that said, “Hey Nancy, Bigo was here, you biotch.”
Barnett, who testified in his defense last week, said he was pushed into the Capitol and unknowingly entered Pelosi’s office searching for a bathroom.
He claimed he took the envelope because it had his blood on it, and that he only intended to use the stun gun for defensive purposes.
Immediately after the verdict was read court, Barnett said he was “absolutely not” given a fair trial.
“I think the venue should’ve been changed. This is not a jury of my peers. I don’t agree with the decision, but I do appreciate the process. We’re surely gonna appeal,” Barnett said.
The Arkansas man was convicted of civil disorder for impeding Metropolitan Police Department officer Terrence Craig in the Capitol Rotunda. The officer’s body camera footage from Jan. 6 shows Barnett yelling profanity and demanding Craig retrieve his flag, which Barnett said he left in Pelosi’s office.
“I’m gonna make it real bad if you don’t get my flag,” Barnett said to Craig on Jan. 6 “I’m gonna call ’em in.”
The civil disorder charge was added about a month ago. Before the trial, the defense called the charge an “11th-hour surprise” and asked for it to be dismissed.
“It put us on our back,” Joseph McBride, Barnett’s lead attorney, said Monday. “After two years, no fact changed in this trial and they put this charge in there that entirely changed our defensive strategy in this case.
“We believe we have very strong chances on appeal given the nature of everything I just said about that charge and the indictment.”
Barnett also was convicted on three additional felony charges and four misdemeanors. The charges included disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building with a dangerous weapon; theft of government property; and obstruction of an official proceeding.
Assistant U.S Attorney Michael Gordon explained in his closing argument why Barnett’s actions were more consequential than the photograph that made him famous.
“He’s not here because he put his feet on the desk. We’re not here because he stole an envelope. Although that’s part of the charged crime. We’re here because on Jan. 6, the defendant committed eight different federal crimes,” Gordon said.
“The defendant says he has regrets. But he’s not regretful about entering the Capitol. He’s not regretful that he personally participated in an effort to stop the peaceful transfer of power, and that his actions for a time did so. In the end, the good guys won. But he did exactly what he set out to do,” he said.
The jury reached verdict after just over two hours of deliberation.
Barnett said he plans to return to Arkansas to spend time with his family and dogs before his sentencing May 3.
