(DCWatchdog.com) – In a significant legal proceeding, a Marine Corps veteran who held a political appointment at the State Department during President Donald Trump’s tenure was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The individual, Federico Klein, was an active participant in one of the most tumultuous confrontations of the Capitol breach, where a mob clashed with vastly outnumbered law enforcement officers at a tunnel entrance. As detailed by federal prosecutors, Klein’s aggressive actions included assaulting officers, rallying other rioters to escalate the violence, and attempting to prevent the closure of the Capitol’s doors.
Klein chose not to take the stand during his trial and refrained from addressing the court prior to his sentencing by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, who condemned Klein’s actions as “shocking and egregious.”
Judge McFadden imposed a sentence of five years and ten months in prison, alongside a $3,000 fine and $2,000 restitution. Klein, who resigned from his State Department position on January 19, 2021, is to surrender to prison at a later date.
Prosecutors posited that Klein’s involvement in the riot was driven by his desire to maintain his position as a presidential appointee. They underscored the betrayal of trust by Klein, who was expected to uphold the law as a federal government employee.
Klein’s defense attorney, Stanley Woodward, argued that the prosecution’s portrayal of Klein was overstated due to his connection to the Trump administration. Woodward advocated for a sentence that reflected Klein’s personal actions rather than associating him with the broader, more severe actions of others present that day.
The prosecution initially sought a 10-year prison sentence for Klein, who was apprehended in March 2021. In a bench trial conducted in July 2023, Judge McFadden found Klein and co-defendant Steven Cappuccio guilty of assault, among other charges related to the Capitol riot. Klein was convicted of 12 charges, including six counts of assault.
In a parallel sentencing, Cappuccio received a seven-year and one-month prison term. He, too, was present at the Trump rally and was involved in the subsequent attack on the Capitol.
Klein’s background includes approximately nine years in the Marine Corps, including a deployment to Iraq. Following his military service, he joined the State Department and was involved in Trump’s 2016 campaign. After the 2020 election, he also traveled to Nevada to assist in investigating unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
