A Telluride man who previously pleaded guilty to his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol in 2021 was sentenced Thursday to one year in prison and must pay $2,000 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Avery MacCracken, 70, who in October pleaded guilty to one count of felony obstruction of law enforcement officers during a civil disorder also will serve three years of supervised release. He faced up to five years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
Under his plea agreement, the court dropped five other charges, including assault for punching a police officer who was protecting the Capitol, court records show.
Investigators said MacCracken was part of a mob of rioters who pushed past a police line outside the Capitol around 2 p.m. Jan. 6, 2021. He then climbed to the top of the inauguration bleachers and refused to leave until he was pushed off the platform by police, according to court documents. He stayed at the Capitol until approximately 5 p.m. when police finally cleared the area.
MacCracken was arrested by the FBI in Telluride on Dec. 11, 2021.
In October, MacCracken said he flew from Montrose to Washington to support former President Donald Trump and protest the results of the 2020 election. With his hands balled into fists, MacCracken said he pushed toward the line of police officers guarding the building and pushed a police officer’s arm.
He said he grabbed another officer who was trying to stop him by the arm and then his jacket, near his shoulder, court documents stated.
Under the plea agreement, MacCracken agreed to be interviewed by federal investigators about the events on Jan. 6 and allow them to review his social media accounts for posts made when hundreds of people stormed the Capitol.
Footage from an officer’s body-worn camera showed MacCracken, then 68, punching an officer who was part of a line protecting the Capitol and shoving and pushing a second officer in the line.
MacCracken is one of more than a dozen Coloradans who have been charged for their involvement in the Jan. 6 riots. Some of them have been sentenced, while others await trial.