Prosecutors seek six-month sentence for Jan. 6 defendant targeted by far-right conspiracy theorists
NBCJUL 2023
Jan. 6: Prosecutors Recommend 6 Months in Prison for Epps
Image copyright: Samuel Corum/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
While those on the far right will spew baseless conspiracy theories about Epps, the truth is that his only ties to the federal government were his four years in the Marines. Epps' sentence is completely justified as he was caught on video encouraging rioters to storm the Capitol but was also seen trying to calm tensions between rioters and police. Epps is a tried and true Trump supporter who, after quickly realizing his wrongful conduct, turned himself in and cooperated with law enforcement to obtain a lesser sentence.
Right narrative
Bringing this trial to a close will not cleanse the government of suspicions surrounding the Ray Epps saga. First, if prosecutors wanted to seem genuine, they wouldn't have waited almost three years to charge him. Second, they wouldn't have white-washed Epps' conduct on Jan. 5 in their official "Statement of Offense." While Epps was caught on video arguing against Trump supporters who didn't want to go into the capitol, prosecutors decided to focus on his rhetoric about not engaging left-wing groups. This case will always have the echo of an inside job.