A member of a militia group who was involved in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Dan Edwin Wilson, an electrician from Kentucky, worked with other far-right extremists before the riot to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden, as per federal prosecutors.

Wilson expressed regret for his actions that day while appearing before U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, stating that he initially got involved with good intentions. Prosecutors highlighted that Wilson intended to interfere with the congressional certification of Biden’s electoral victory over Trump.

Communicating with members of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group and the antigovernment Three Percenters movement, Wilson identified as an Oath Keeper and a member of the Gray Ghost Partisan Rangers, a Three Percenter militia. A co-defendant, David Scott Kuntz, who organized a group called “Coalition of the Unknown” on Telegram, is currently pleading not guilty to Capitol riot charges.

Prior to the riot, Wilson actively communicated with others, sharing his willingness to sacrifice himself for their cause. While Wilson believed the presidential election was stolen from Trump, prosecutors argued that he conspired with others to use violence to maintain Trump in the White House. As Wilson approached the Capitol, he used the Zello app to update other rioters on the unfolding events and instructed them to push through.

Prosecutors accused Wilson of seeking out violence and playing a significant role in organizing a conspiracy to commit violent acts. Wilson’s actions were described as an attack not only on the Capitol but on the entire United States and its governmental system.

Wilson, who was arrested in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, in May 2023, had a criminal record that prohibited him from possessing firearms. Over 1,400 individuals have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal offenses, with approximately 950 convicted and sentenced, the majority of whom received prison terms ranging from days to 22 years.