Capitol rioter with ‘small armoury’ and Molotov cocktails sentenced to four years prison

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An Alabama man was sentenced to almost four years in prison after pleading guilty to driving a pickup truck filled with a "small armoury" of weapons and Molotov cocktails to the US Capitol riot.

Lonnie Leroy Coffman, 72, was said he never intended to hurt anybody but US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said he had not explained the "small armoury in his truck, ready to do battle”.

The US Army Vietnam War veteran from Alabama was the most heavily armed person charged in connection to the riot, with five firearms and ingredients for 11 Molotov cocktails in his truck parked on Capitol Hill for days before 6 January 2021.

His red pickup truck was found during a sweep of the area around Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters.

In addition to mason jars filled with gas, officers found hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a loaded shotgun, assault rifle, revolver, crossbow, stun gun, and several machetes.

He was arrested when returning to the vehicle and was found to be carrying another two loaded pistols.

Though he wasn’t accused of entering the Capitol or participating in the mob, he was the first person charged in connection to the riot and as part of his deal pled guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm and carrying a pistol without a license.

More than 770 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Over 240 participants in the attack have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanours punishable by a maximum of six months imprisonment. More than 130 have been sentenced. Coffman is one of nine defendants whose prison sentence exceeds one year.

Described by a family member as "a hermit," Mr Coffman wrote in a letter to the judge that he travelled to DC to get answers about the 2020 election that he believed was stolen.

“My objective was to try to discover just how true and secure was the election on November 3rd 2020. Did my vote go to the people I intended it to?” he wrote.

“If I had any idea that things would turn out like they did, I would have stayed home,” he added.

During the virtual court hearing on Friday, Mr Coffman broke down in tears as he told the judge he would spend most of his time with family if he was released, according to NBC News.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.