Proud Boys Member Sentenced to Over 4 Years for Role in Jan. 6 Capitol Attack
In a significant development, William Chrestman, a 51-year-old member of the Proud Boys from Olathe, Kansas, has been sentenced to four years and seven months in prison for his involvement in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C.
Chrestman, who pleaded guilty in October to obstruction of an official proceeding and threatening a federal officer, was part of the Proud Boys’ Kansas City, Missouri, chapter. During the Capitol attack, he actively encouraged the crowd entering the building by shouting, “Go! Go! Go!” as per the U.S. attorney’s office statement.
After the breach, Chrestman boasted about the chaos, claiming, “we had the cops running.” Prosecutors revealed that he and others obstructed officials trying to secure the building by throwing chairs under security doors. According to Friday’s statement, Chrestman acknowledged that law enforcement officers were “legitimately scared” for their lives.
Additionally, Chrestman threatened police attempting to prevent rioters from entering the Capitol and brandished an ax handle, later using it to prop open a door for the crowd to enter, prosecutors stated.
Despite already spending around 35 months in incarceration, Chrestman will serve approximately 20 more months, accounting for good behavior, according to his attorney, Michael Cronkright. Cronkright, in court documents, emphasized Chrestman’s remorse, highlighting his background as a former Army medic and loving father experiencing personal turmoil over the impact on his family.
A Proud Boys member from Olathe, Kansas, was sentenced Friday to over four years in prison and three years of supervised released for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol:https://t.co/WjJs5hETGI
— KSHB 41 News (@KSHB41) January 12, 2024
Prosecutors argued that Chrestman demonstrated premeditated violence, expressing disappointment about being unable to bring a firearm and arriving with a helmet marked with orange tape for Proud Boys recognition. The sentencing marks a consequential development in the ongoing legal repercussions stemming from the January 6 Capitol attack.