Judge Weighs Jailing Trump-Pardoned Jan 6 Rioter After Security Scare With Top Dem

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File

A January 6 Capitol rioter pardoned by President Donald Trump triggered fresh security fears in Washington D.C. after turning up near the home of Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), prompting prosecutors to ask a federal judge to jail him immediately.

Taylor Taranto, convicted this year for threatening federal buildings and carrying weapons in former President Barack Obama’s neighbourhood, resurfaced in the capital despite a court-ordered supervised release. His appearance unnerved authorities who say it mirrors the behaviour that led to his arrest two years ago.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols did not order him taken into custody but warned he would consider the government’s request in the coming weeks. He instructed Taranto to return to Washington state for the holidays and stay away from D.C. until the new year.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf argued Taranto was “on the path” to repeating his past conduct, citing erratic livestreams, worrying social media posts, including one filmed from a Pentagon parking lot, and failures to comply with supervision rules.

Taranto spent two years behind bars before Nichols handed down a conviction but no additional jail time, offering supervised release instead. Now, according to Politico, prosecutors say his return to the capital shows that leniency may have been misplaced.

Taranto’s lawyer, Carmen Hernández, sought time to review the claims and asked that her client be able to spend Christmas with his wife and children. His probation officer, Sean Stallman, opposed immediate incarceration, recommending tighter monitoring of drug use and psychiatric treatment rather than prison.

After swearing he would drive home by midday Friday, Taranto was allowed to leave on his own.

The judge, however, warned that he is “absolutely prepared” to jail him if he violates any orders.