Former Proud Boys member gets 3-year prison sentence for Jan. 6 riot participation

June 22 (UPI) -- A former member of the far-right Proud Boys group was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2020, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

James Robert Elliott was handed a 37-month prison sentence, as well as a $2,000 fine by District Court Judge Royce Lamberth.

Elliott, who is from Aurora, Ill., was arrested in Batavia in 2021.

The 25-year-old pleaded guilty in November to assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.

Prosecutors contend Elliott swung a flag pole at Capitol Police officers, making contact with at least one of them.

Officials say he then moved to the base of the scaffolding used for the Joe Biden inauguration, where he repeated a battle cry.

Officers at that point used pepper spray to block him and he did not advance any farther toward the U.S. Capitol building.

Elliott initially faced six counts including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

Prosecutors contend that during the riot, "Elliott did not just instigate -- he joined the battle himself," according to their sentencing memo.

Elliott's lawyers told the judge their client has since left the group and works as a truck driver to support his family.

Since the riot 29 months ago, officials have arrested more than 1,000 people in almost 50 states for taking part. Almost 350 individuals have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers, according to the Justice Department.