Mountain Media, LLC
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account
Subscribe For $2.50/Month
No Result
View All Result
MM, LLC
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account
No Result
View All Result
Mountain Media, LLC
  • Virginia News
  • West Virginia News
  • National News
  • Login
  • My account
  • Subscribe
Home Local VA State News

Internet troll ‘Baked Alaska’ pleads guilty in Capitol riot

July 23, 2022
in VA State News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A far-right internet personality pleaded guilty Friday to joining the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol, where he streamed live video that incriminated him and other rioters, according to a court filing.

Anthime Gionet, known as “Baked Alaska” to his social media followers, faces a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing inside a Capitol building.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan is scheduled to sentence Gionet on Jan. 12, 2023.

The judge had scheduled a March 2023 trial for Gionet after he balked at pleading guilty during an earlier hearing. Sullivan refused to accept a guilty plea by Anthime Gionet in May after he professed his innocence at the start of what was scheduled to be a plea agreement hearing.

At the start of Friday’s virtual hearing, defense attorney Zachary Thornley told the judge that a protester was outside Gionet’s Florida home and was recording the proceedings over the telephone, a violation of court rules.

“Protesting what?” the judge asked.

“I guess him as a person,” Thornley replied.

The judge instructed court staff to shut off the telephone line, preventing the public from hearing Gionet enter his guilty plea.

Two of Gionet’s lawyers didn’t immediately respond to calls for comment after the hearing.

After entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Gionet streamed live video that showed himself inside the building and repeatedly encouraging other rioters to stay there.

“Come in. Let’s go. Come on in. Make yourself at home,” Gionet told other rioters, according to a court filing accompanying his guilty plea.

Gionet joined others in chanting, “Patriots are in control!” and “Whose house? Our house!” Before leaving, he profanely called a police officer an “oathbreaker,” the FBI said.

Federal authorities have used Gionet’s video to prosecute other rioters, including three men from New York City. Antonio Ferrigno, Francis Connor and Anton Lunyk pleaded guilty in April to riot-related charges. Gionet’s livestream showed them in Sen. Jeff Merkley’s office, according to court filings accompanying their plea agreements.

Gionet worked at BuzzFeed before he used social media to build an online following in far-right political circles. Defense attorney Zachary Thornley said Gionet “has long been a member of the press.”

“His actions on the day many folks entered the Capitol were no less then he has always done. He filmed it. That is what he does,” Thornley wrote in a court filing last year.

Prosecutors disputed Gionet’s contention that he is a member of the news media.

Gionet became known for posting videos in which he attempts to pull pranks or troll his targets. He also has a history of promoting far-right extremism. He was scheduled to speak at the white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in 2017 before it erupted in violence on the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Mainstream internet platforms, including Twitter, suspended Gionet’s accounts before Jan. 6. At the Capitol, he was livestreaming video using a fringe service called DLive.

Other Capitol riot defendants have claimed that they were acting as journalists, not insurrectionists.

Infowars host Jonathan Owen Shroyer has asked a judge to throw out his riot charges. Shroyer’s lawyer argues the Justice Department is prosecuting him for his constitutionally protected “rights to protest, speak freely and report the news.” Prosecutors counter that the First Amendment doesn’t protect Shroyer’s conduct at the Capitol.

Gionet, who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, was arrested in Houston less than two weeks after the riot. He moved from Arizona to Florida after his arrest.

In January, Gionet was sentenced to 30 days in jail for misdemeanor convictions stemming from a December 2020 encounter in which authorities say he shot pepper spray at an employee at a bar in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Gionet’s plea agreement includes a provision allowing investigators to review any of his social media accounts for posts around the time of the Capitol riot.

ShareTweetShare

Related Posts

What to watch in Wis., 3 other states in Tuesday’s primaries

August 8, 2022

The Republican matchup in the Wisconsin governor's race on Tuesday features competing candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump and his estranged...

Kyrgios wins Citi Open again; Samsonova takes women’s title

August 8, 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Nick Kyrgios rambled through a lengthy list of people he wanted to thank Sunday after ending a three-year...

Biden to join governor to survey flood damage in Kentucky

August 8, 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and the first lady are expected to join Gov. Andy Beshear and his wife,...

Storms ground US air travelers as airlines cancel flights

August 7, 2022

NEW YORK (AP) — Tens of thousands of flyers had their travel plans upended Friday after airlines canceled about 1,400...

Demand for grocery delivery cools as food costs rise

August 7, 2022

Karen Raschke, a retired attorney in New York, started getting her groceries delivered early in the pandemic. Each delivery cost...

Dems’ climate, energy, tax bill clears initial Senate hurdle

August 7, 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats pushed their election-year economic bill toward Senate approval early Sunday, starting the sprawling collection of President Joe...

  • Login
  • My account
  • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
Call us: +1 234 JEG THEME

© 2021 Mountain Media, LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account

© 2021 Mountain Media, LLC

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Sign in
  • New account

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login

Session expired

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

>

Add Mountain Media, LLC to your Homescreen

Add