Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, an ex-Army reservist and U.S. Capitol rioter who said January 6, 2021, was "exhilarating" and felt like "civil war" was sentenced on Thursday to four years behind bars.
"This is a significant sentence," District Judge Trevor McFadden said. McFadden lambasted Hale-Cusanelli for his "sexist, racist and antisemitic comments" that the judge said motivated, in part, his actions that day.
Hale-Cusanelli, who was convicted in May of all five charges he faced, including the felony of obstructing an official proceeding, told the judge he "would never see my face again."
"I disrespected my uniform" on January 6, Hale-Cusanelli added, asking the judge for mercy. He also was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
During the riot, video shows Hale-Cusanelli yelling for the mob to "advance" before breaching the US Capitol himself, and later signaling for more rioters to join him inside. Hale-Cusanelli also tried to pull another rioter away from a police officer who was detaining the individual.
"You absolutely knew what you and others were doing," McFadden said Thursday, adding that Hale-Cusanelli lied during his testimony in trial when he claimed he didn't know Congress met in the Capitol, despite telling his roommate that he was just outside the House chambers during the riot.
McFadden repeatedly castigated Hale-Cusanelli for racist commentary that "normalizes violence," pointing to the recent increase of antisemitic violence in the US.
In their sentencing memorandum, prosecutors argued that Hale-Cusanelli should receive 78 months behind bars and pointed to his desire for a civil war and antisemitic conspiracies, saying that Jews controlled Democrats, President Joe Biden and all of government.
"It is well-established in the record at this point that Hale-Cusanelli subscribes to White Supremacist and Nazi-Sympathizer ideologies that drive his enthusiasm for another civil war and formed the basis of this Court's pretrial determination that Hale-Cusanelli was a danger to the community," prosecutor Kathryn Fifield wrote.
"What Hale-Cusanelli was doing on January 6 was not activism," Fifield added. "It was the preamble to his civil war."
During his trial, Hale-Cusanelli's defense attorney Jonathan Crisp told the jury that his client simply says these things to "agitate" others and "get attention." Hale-Cusanelli testified that he was half Jewish and not an anti-Semite.
In his sentencing memorandum, another attorney for Hale-Cusanelli, Nicholas Smith, wrote that his client's "upbringing was like something from Oliver Twist" and that he was raised by "effectively career criminals" and drug abusers. Smith, in his filing, asked that Hale-Cusanelli be sentenced to 20 months in prison with time served.
Stephen Ayres, who testified at one of the 's public hearings, was sentenced Thursday to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
Ayres had pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly conduct in a restricted building in June and the government asked for two months' incarceration at sentencing.
District Judge John Bates at sentencing credited Ayres' testimony while deciding his sentence, saying that Ayres "has shown genuine remorse and regret and that includes testifying before the January 6th select committee."
"I want to apologize to you and the court and the American people," Ayres said during his sentencing hearing. "I went down there that day not with the intention to cause any violence or anything like that, but I did get caught up in all the stuff online, on Facebook, which ultimately I felt like was steering me in the wrong direction."
During the hearing in July, that he was "riled up" by then-President Donald Trump's speech and never planned to go to the Capitol but was "following what (Trump) said" during his Ellipse address.
"It changed my life, not for the good, definitely not for the better," he said. He added that he no longer believes Trump's lies about the 2020 election but warned that there are millions of people who still do, which poses a threat for future elections.
In an interview with CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, airing Sunday, Cohen said that despite the failed attempt at a pause, he still believes a ceasefire is possible.
According to a survey on recent alcohol consumption, younger Canadians are more likely to have not had a drink in the past week. For those interested in slowing or stopping their alcohol consumption, there's a phrase: 'sober curious.'
A 30-year-old northwestern Ontario woman has been charged with arson following a structure fire Thursday night, police say.
On Saturday, tensions rose again between Quebec and Ottawa at the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) political conference in Saint-Hyacinthe.
A Liberal MP and a Conservative MP will be part of a team delivering speeches at an event in Ottawa commemorating the one year anniversary of the attacks on Oct. 7.
'Joker: Folie a Deux' is the No. 1 movie at the box office, but it might not be destined for a happy ending.
'Eat more vegetables,' doctors and dietitians say over and over. But for many people, it’s hard to do, because they aren’t excited about veggies or just don’t like them.
The eight sons of Richard and Sarah Harvie from Gormanville, N.S., are believed to be the most siblings from one family, from either North America or the British Commonwealth, to serve in World War II.
But after fashion, death is the second through line in 'Heart on My Sleeve,' which tells the TV personality's life story as reflected by the items in her wardrobe.
According to a survey on recent alcohol consumption, younger Canadians are more likely to have not had a drink in the past week. For those interested in slowing or stopping their alcohol consumption, there's a phrase: 'sober curious.'
New data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) shows that even though claims for auto theft dropped in the first half of 2024 compared to their 2023 peak, the rates of reported theft remain well above those of years prior.
One person is dead after the driver of a pickup truck hit a bench where two people were waiting for the bus in Surrey Saturday afternoon, police have confirmed.
The federal government is providing $1.2 billion to help build a new hospital complex on the James Bay Coast, easing residents’ fears that construction wouldn’t start this year.
The eight sons of Richard and Sarah Harvie from Gormanville, N.S., are believed to be the most siblings from one family, from either North America or the British Commonwealth, to serve in World War II.
A massive fire broke out in downtown Langley Saturday morning, destroying a restaurant and forcing several other businesses to close.
As a junior at George Washington University, Ty Lindia meets new students every day. But with the shadow of the Israel-Hamas war hanging over the Washington, D.C., campus, where everyone has a political opinion, each new encounter is fraught.
Donald Trump's fourth scheduled stop in eight days in Wisconsin is a sign of his increased attention as Republicans fret about the former president's ability to match the Democrats' enthusiasm and turnout machine.
It was a year ago when Jomana Siddiqui visited Lebanon, where her father was born — and is now buried. She planned to return there soon; this time, she thought, she would take her two teenage daughters.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff quit on Sunday, citing concerns that growing news reports about her role 'risked becoming a distraction to the government.'
Being an armchair detective has turned into an American obsession, fueled by an abundance of true-crime content in podcasts and television series. But some of those projects have sparked actual legal developments.
A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
In an interview with CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, airing Sunday, Cohen said that despite the failed attempt at a pause, he still believes a ceasefire is possible.
On Saturday, tensions rose again between Quebec and Ottawa at the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) political conference in Saint-Hyacinthe.
NDP House Leader Peter Julian says the Bloc Quebecois has not initiated conversations with his party to potentially bring down the minority Trudeau government, as Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet has threatened.
Rwandan health authorities will begin a vaccine study against the Marburg hemorrhagic fever, officials said Sunday, as the East African country tries to stop the spread of an outbreak that has killed 12 people.
Bruzzese came down with COVID-19 in February 2023, and received her injection at the end of March. “Being able to recognize smells is something we take for granted, until you can’t.â€
New data raises questions about the drinks people consume and the potential risks associated with them, according to researchers at Galway University in Ireland, in partnership with Hamilton’s McMaster University.
Scientists announced on Thursday a milestone in neurobiological research with the mapping of the entire brain of an adult fruit fly, a feat that may provide insight into brains across the animal kingdom, including people.
For humans, flashing a smile is an easy way to avoid misunderstanding. And, according to a new study, bottlenose dolphins may use a similar tactic while playing with each other.
Alphabet's Google is testing showing check marks next to certain companies on its search results, a company spokesperson said on Friday, in a move aimed at helping users identify verified sources and steer clear of fake websites.
'Joker: Folie a Deux' is the No. 1 movie at the box office, but it might not be destined for a happy ending.
But after fashion, death is the second through line in 'Heart on My Sleeve,' which tells the TV personality's life story as reflected by the items in her wardrobe.
Hollywood star Keanu Reeves made his professional auto racing debut on Saturday in an event in which 'The Matrix' star spun out at famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Financial strain can be an uncomfortable burden to bear, especially if you feel that you're doing as much as you can and are barely managing to stay afloat. Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares some tips for managing financial stress and digging your way out of debt.
Yugali Bharote starts her day in the kitchen, preparing lunch boxes for her sons bound for school – but she doesn’t stop there. She then prepares almost a dozen lunch boxes for customers who have subscribed to her homemade meals.
Dubai's Emirates airline has banned pagers and walkie-talkies from its planes, following last month's attacks on such devices carried by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
'Eat more vegetables,' doctors and dietitians say over and over. But for many people, it’s hard to do, because they aren’t excited about veggies or just don’t like them.
Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you're getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.
A five-seat sushi counter located inside another restaurant is the latest Vancouver eatery to receive a Michelin star.
Vanderbilt takes down AP poll No. 1 Alabama 40-35 in historic college football victory.
Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.
Argentine star Lionel Messi was on the bench to start Inter Miami CF's game in Toronto on Saturday.
New data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) shows that even though claims for auto theft dropped in the first half of 2024 compared to their 2023 peak, the rates of reported theft remain well above those of years prior.
Tesla is recalling more than 27,000 Cybertrucks because the rearview camera image may not activate immediately after shifting into reverse, the fifth recall for the vehicle since it went on sale late last year.
A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.
Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.
From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.
A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.
The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.
A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.
Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north
What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.
New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.
The calculus of predicting an election and identifying its key battlegrounds is complex enough in any race, but observers of the British Columbia poll this month are facing a pair of unknown quantities that make the math even more confounding.
One person is dead after the driver of a pickup truck hit a bench where two people were waiting for the bus in Surrey Saturday afternoon, police have confirmed.
A massive fire broke out in downtown Langley Saturday morning, destroying a restaurant and forcing several other businesses to close.
The Ontario Science Centre is set to launch two temporary satellite locations in other parts of Toronto, which could let visitors access some of its interactive exhibits while a full interim location remains at least a year away, Â鶹´«Ã½ has learned.
Leo Campana's stoppage-time goal gave Inter Miami a 1-0 win and left Toronto FC's playoff hopes hanging by a thread Saturday.
According to a survey on recent alcohol consumption, younger Canadians are more likely to have not had a drink in the past week. For those interested in slowing or stopping their alcohol consumption, there's a phrase: 'sober curious.'
An investigation is underway after a collision that took place on Deerfoot Trail early Saturday evening.
An investigation is underway into a fire and explosion that took place Saturday night in northeast Calgary.
Nanton RCMP are on scene Sunday morning at a serious single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 533 and Range Road 118.
Ontario Provincial Police say a man has died after striking obstacles on the St. Lawrence River while driving a personal watercraft.
A Liberal MP and a Conservative MP will be part of a team delivering speeches at an event in Ottawa commemorating the one year anniversary of the attacks on Oct. 7.
The annual RBC Race for Kids raised $830,000 in support of a historic redevelopment for eastern Ontario's largest children's hospital.
Alexandre Look, a 33-year-old Montreal native, was among the concertgoers who were murdered a year ago Monday at the Supernova music festival during a brutal assault on Israel carried out by Hamas militants. He is among at least eight people, either Canadian citizens or with ties to Canada, who died during the Oct. 7 attacks.
Police released the identities of the mother and daughter who were killed after a fire tore through a 160-year-old building in Old Montreal on Friday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a pointed reply on Saturday to Quebec Premier François Legault's suggestion that half of the asylum seekers already settled in Quebec should be forcibly moved to other provinces.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched a playoff spot thanks to a win over the Edmonton Elks.
Highway 39 near Warburg was closed Saturday after a serious crash involving a motorcycle and a van.
An estimated four billion birds will navigate man-made environments as they travel south from North America during fall migration. Tens of million of them will die en route due to human-created hazards.
RCMP in Sussex, N.B., are asking the public for help locating a missing 61-year-old woman from Wards Creek, N.B.
New Brunswick singer-songwriter David Myles is set to go on tour this November after the release of his new album “Devil Talking."
A broken wastewater pipe has prompted Halifax Water to ask Quinpool area residents to reduce water usage while crews make repairs Sunday.
Some Manitobans are cleaning up Sunday morning, after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province Saturday.
It’s 1998. Google was just born, and dial-up was the primary way to connect to the Internet. New sites were being developed daily on any number of topics, from recipes to shopping. David Yanciw, however, was thinking big - big things, that is.
Communities outside of the perimeter aren’t immune to the housing and affordability struggles seen in Winnipeg.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched a playoff spot thanks to a win over the Edmonton Elks.
Saskatchewan's two major political parties made campaign stops in Moose Jaw Saturday with both promising to invest into the city if elected on Oct. 28.
A wind warning was issued for parts of southern Saskatchewan, with gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour (km/h) possible in some areas on Saturday, Environment and Climate Change Canada says.
The Huron Ontario Provincial Police said they responded to a “downed airplane†just after 11 a.m. Saturday.
Police say they were called to the area of Simcoe Street and Market Street around 1:30 a.m. Saturday for a report of an assault.
The Oktoberfest Parade is fast approaching and organizers are urgently seeking volunteers to fill the role of sign carriers.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched a playoff spot thanks to a win over the Edmonton Elks.
The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation hosted a virtual election forum on education Thursday evening, giving candidates in the provincial election a chance to share their thoughts and answer questions on issues teachers find most important.
A permanent memorial at the site of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash is about to be a step closer.
According to a survey on recent alcohol consumption, younger Canadians are more likely to have not had a drink in the past week. For those interested in slowing or stopping their alcohol consumption, there's a phrase: 'sober curious.'
A Liberal MP and a Conservative MP will be part of a team delivering speeches at an event in Ottawa commemorating the one year anniversary of the attacks on Oct. 7.
Fire crews in Greater Sudbury battled a large garage fire on Friday.
The London Knights continue to get players back from NHL training camps but while the roster takes shape, wins have been tough to come by in the early season.
Standardised testing is a great way to see how local students measure up to provincial averages, and following the pandemic, educators had their work cut out for them getting kids back up to speed.
People across Florida were given notice Sunday that Milton, for now just a tropical storm off the coast of Mexico, could intensify rapidly into a major hurricane before slamming midweek into the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast.
OPP are seeking assistance in their search for a 30-year-old man last seen in Orillia.
Provincial police are investigating a collision along Highway 400 in Tay Township Friday afternoon.
More than a thousand residents attended the Town of Innisfil's inaugural 'InnisFALL' festival on Saturday, which celebrated the spirit of fall with live music and entertainment at Innisfil Town Square.
Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Currently, County Road 18 is closed between Briton Road, and Rizzo Nicola Drive while police investigate.
People across Florida were given notice Sunday that Milton, for now just a tropical storm off the coast of Mexico, could intensify rapidly into a major hurricane before slamming midweek into the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast.
The calculus of predicting an election and identifying its key battlegrounds is complex enough in any race, but observers of the British Columbia poll this month are facing a pair of unknown quantities that make the math even more confounding.
Police on Vancouver Island have made an arrest in the case of a 78-year-old woman found dead in her home almost two years ago.
NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.
While the summer may be over, construction season in Lethbridge is not.
Lethbridge police executed dozens of warrants and laid numerous charges in another targeted enforcement project in the downtown area.
A person was airlifted to hospital following a serious crash in Taber, Alta., on Friday morning. Taber RCMP responded to the scene on Highway 864 around 10:30 a.m., for a crash involving an SUV and a semi-truck.
A drug raid on a home on the Far North Attawapiskat First Nation last week resulted in two local residents being charged and more than $50,000 in suspected narcotics, including methamphetamine, being seized.
The Ontario College of Family Physicians has presented awards to 750 doctors based on comments from patients, including eight physicians who are part of the Group Health Centre in Sault Ste. Marie.
Two teens, ages 14 and 19, have been charged with arson in connection with a July 14 fire in Cat Lake First Nation that destroyed $500,000 in construction materials.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
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