Current:Home > FinanceCardinals superfan known as Rally Runner gets 10 months in prison for joining Jan. 6 Capitol riot -WealthMindset Learning
Cardinals superfan known as Rally Runner gets 10 months in prison for joining Jan. 6 Capitol riot
View
Date:2025-04-13 01:49:12
WASHINGTON (AP) — A St. Louis Cardinals superfan known as Rally Runner was sentenced Thursday to 10 months in prison for storming the U.S. Capitol while dressed up in the outfit that he was known for wearing as he jogged around outside the baseball team’s stadium.
The Missouri man, who legally changed his name from Daniel Donnelly Jr. to Rally Runner, became fodder for a baseless conspiracy theory that government plants secretly incited the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Tucker Carlson featured him on a December 2021 segment of his now-canceled Fox News show. Carlson showed an image of Rally Runner outside the Capitol — wearing red face paint and red clothes — as the television host promoted conspiracy theories that uncharged “agent provocateurs” had infiltrated the mob.
“Who is this person? Why hasn’t he been charged? That’s a very simple ask,” Carlson told his viewers.
Rally Runner, 44, was arrested in August 2023 on charges that he used a stolen shield to help other rioters attack police officers at the Capitol. He pleaded guilty in March to a felony count of civil disorder.
In addition to the 10-month prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ordered him to pay $3,000 in fines and restitution.
An attorney for Rally Runner, Scott Rosenblum, said his client is “happy to put this chapter behind him” and “looks forward to continuing his growth and contributing to society.”
In a letter to the judge filed in court, his mother said her son is not an aggressive person, and wanted to go to Washington “to pray for Trump just as he did for the Cardinals.”
“He did not go to the Capitol with the idea of committing a crime; he went to be part of a protest,” she wrote. “But it turned into a violent insurrection.”
Rally Runner was wearing red paint on his face, a red jacket and a red “Keep America Great” hat when he stormed the Capitol. He is known in St. Louis for running around the Cardinals’ stadium during baseball games while wearing red clothes and red face paint.
Rally Runner told the FBI that he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and took one of the police shields that rioters were passing around. Video captured him in the crowd of rioters who attacked police in a tunnel on the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace. He and other rioters used shields to form a wall as they clashed with police, the FBI said.
Rally Runner was still wearing face paint and his Trump hat when he talked about his part in the Capitol attack in a Facebook video posted on Jan. 6, 2021.
“We pushed them all the way into the doors. It was working until more cops showed up. I’m right at the front of it and got through those doors into the Capitol, and that’s when reinforcements came,” he said on the video.
More than 1,400 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Over 900 have been convicted and sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years.
veryGood! (28)
Related
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Love Is Blind's Deepti Vempati Shares the Morning Mantra That Will Start Your Self-Love Journey
- We asked to see your pet artwork — you unleashed your creativity
- 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' has high charisma
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Gwyneth Paltrow appears in a Utah court for a trial over a 2016 ski crash
- 'John Wick: Chapter 4' wonders, 'When does this all end?'
- Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Swim Collection Is Back With New Styles After 500K All-Time Waitlist Signups
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- We pack our knives and go deep on 'Top Chef'
Ranking
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Below Deck's Captain Sandy Yawn Just Fired Another Season 10 Crew Member
- Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker Get Cozy on Snowy Valentine's Day Trip
- 'Renfield' lacks bite
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- In 'Showing Up,' Michelle Williams just wants to make some art
- Clouds remind me that magical things in life can come out of nowhere
- A love letter to movie trailers and the joy of shared anticipation
Recommendation
Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
Family Karma's Amrit Kapai Share's Update on Starting a Family After Baby Journey Hurdles
Paul Wesley Files For Divorce From Ines de Ramon Amid Her Rumored Romance With Brad Pitt
See Priyanka Chopra Hold Daughter Malti Close in Sweet Photos
House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
'Schmigadoon!' co-creator says series was onspired by a 'love affair' with musicals
How these art sleuths reunited a family after centuries apart
Summer House Star Mya Allen Wore This Surprisingly Affordable Bodysuit With 1,300+ 5-Star Reviews