WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — A Christian man who spoke to LifeSiteNews about his experiences during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol has filed an appeal after being convicted and sentenced to federal prison.
Leo Kelly, 37, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, appealed his conviction on August 29 in the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, less than two weeks after U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth sentenced him to 30 months in federal prison for his actions on January 6.
In addition to the prison term, Lamberth also ordered Kelly to perform 36 months of supervised release and pay $7,000 in restitution and fines.
READ: Man who told LifeSite why he entered US Capitol on Jan. 6 sentenced to 2.5 years in prison
According to a DOJ press release, “Kelly was one of the very few rioters who breached the Senate Chamber.” Upon entering the building, he reportedly “ascended the Senate Dais, leafed through sensitive documents, and took photos of them.”
He also reportedly walked with rioters through the hallways, observed as some participants attempted to gain violent entry through a window and a door, and ignored officers’ commands to exit.
In May, a jury found Kelly guilty of a felony for “obstructing an official [government] proceeding” and six other misdemeanor offenses related to his entering the U.S. Capitol, LifeSiteNews previously reported.
Kelly spoke with LifeSite’s Jim Hale in 2021 about entering the Capitol building.
He said he was “conflicted” about whether he did something wrong but argued that Americans had been “betrayed by Congress … betrayed by the judicial branch … betrayed by our local governments, our mayors and everything. What are we supposed to do?”