An Indiana individual who evaded a nine-month prison term for participating in the storming of the U.S. Capitol was apprehended in Canada this week, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the chaotic event. Antony Vo was taken into custody “without incident” in Whistler, British Columbia, on Monday, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the Canada Border Services Agency. As of Thursday, Vo remained in detention, as reported by his immigration lawyer.
Vo is among over 1,500 people charged in connection with the Capitol riot, and he is one of more than 700 defendants sentenced to prison for their involvement. He had previously ignored a court mandate to report to prison last year. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presided over his case in Washington, D.C., sentenced him in April, instructing him to begin his prison term on June 14.
Despite going on the run, Vo did not shy away from the public eye. He has been active on social media, discussing his situation and advancing conspiracy theories regarding the events of January 6. In various interviews, he has expressed beliefs that he might receive a pardon from President-elect Donald Trump in the near future. Vo has also employed social media to criticize Judge Chutkan, labeling her court as lacking proper judicial fairness.
“My entire family despised Chutkan! It was as if we could sense the communist in her,” Vo remarked in a December post. He has indicated his intention to seek political asylum in Canada, aided by an immigration attorney based in Saskatchewan. Vo stated in an interview with The Toronto Sun that he is “pretty much 99% sure” Trump will grant him a pardon once he takes office on January 20. “I have no reason to doubt it,” he shared with the newspaper.
Trump has previously committed to considering pardons for participants in the Capitol riot, whom he refers to as “political prisoners.” However, he has yet to provide specifics on how he will evaluate each case. Oluwadamilola Asuni, Vo’s immigration lawyer, anticipates that Vo will stay in Canadian custody until a detention review hearing scheduled for the following Wednesday in British Columbia.
According to Purdy, the border agency has no documentation indicating that Vo entered Canada through any authorized entry point. His arrest was conducted under an immigration law warrant. In the previous year, over 14,000 foreign nationals were expelled from Canada for similar violations of this law, as noted by Purdy.
Carmen Hernandez, Vo’s defense attorney in the January 6 proceedings, mentioned that she became aware of his Canadian arrest through the media. “I haven’t had any communication with him since his arrest,” Hernandez stated.
Vo, who entered the Capitol along with his mother after traveling from Bloomington, Indiana, to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally headlined by then-President Trump four years ago, was photographed in the Capitol’s Rotunda waving a flag above his head alongside his mother, Annie Vo. Following a jury trial in September 2023, Vo was found guilty of four misdemeanor charges.
At his sentencing hearing, Vo expressed remorse for his involvement, telling the judge, “I know I shouldn’t have been there that day.” Judge Chutkan, who also oversaw a case involving Trump’s election behavior, noted Vo’s apparent lack of respect for the judicial system and warned him that his failure to comply with reporting instructions could lead to additional criminal charges. “He seems to have a different understanding of the Constitution and the gravity of his actions,” she remarked, adding that he is being sentenced for his conduct, regardless of his personal views.
A jury trial for Annie Vo has been set to begin on March 10.
