WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – A Florida man who was seen carrying a large red “Trump 2020” flag on the floor of the U.S. Senate during the Capitol riot was sentenced Monday to 8 months in prison.
Paul Allard Hodgkins, 38, of Tampa, was arrested February 16 after the FBI received a tip identifying him among the hundreds of people seen in Department of Justice photos and videos inside the Capitol.
He pleaded guilty in June to a single felony count of obstructing an official proceeding, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Following Monday’s proceeding, Hodgkins’ attorney, Patrick Leduc, cast a wide net of guilt and said the sentence was fair. “So I was having a hard time determining what the difference was in my mind with somebody being in the rotunda versus somebody being on the floor of the Senate, which is about a hundred feet apart. And frankly, the crime is entering the building and all those 800 folks that entered the building, they were wrong and we all know they’re wrong,” Leduc said. “I think the judge’s sentence was fair. I have no criticism and no complaint.”
The government had asked for 18 months in prison for Hodgkins, within theAll Posts federal sentencing guideline of 15 to 21 months.
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