A man who called himself the “Capitol Doobie Smoker” after smoking a joint in the Capitol Rotunda during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot has been sentenced to two years probation.
Eduardo Nicolas Alvear Gonzalez, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper on Thursday, according to NBC News.
Cooper reportedly said that Gonzalez serving 45 days in prison after his arrest in 2020 contributed to the decision to sentence the defendant to probation, the outlet reported.
Prosecutors had called for Gonzalez to serve three months in jail and argued that his public statements and actions on Jan 6 highlighted his lack of respect for the law, the news outlet noted.
“He hasn’t shown remorse,” prosecutor Anne Veldhuis said of Gonzalez during the hearing, according to NBC News. “He has repeatedly mischaracterized and glorified the events of January 6.”
“[Gonzalez smoking weed] underscores his somewhat flippant and cavalier attitude about what was happening that day,” she added.
Gonzalez’s attorney Jason Hannan countered that the 33-year-old had no prior criminal history before Jan 6, NBC News reported.
“He’s 33 years old, he’s a father. That’s a long time to be an adult without any issues,” Hannan said in court.
“He’s calling himself the ‘Capitol Doobie Smoker’ online, his handle is ‘Brotunda,’” Cooper said, according to NBC News. “That’s not just expressing a political view.”
During the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Gonzalez entered the Capitol Building for about 30 minutes, during which time he was filmed smoking weed and said he was doing so for “freedom,” NBC News reported. He also referred to Jan. 6 rioters as “American patriots.”