A Tennessee bartender involved in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Eric Munchel, 32, gained nationwide attention after a photo of him carrying plastic zip tie handcuffs and a stun gun in the Senate gallery went viral. Alongside Munchel, his mother Lisa Eisenhart, 59, was also sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.
Prosecutors expressed their concerns regarding the potential danger Munchel and Eisenhart posed to members of Congress if they had still been present in the Senate Chamber. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who presided over the case without a jury through a stipulated bench trial, issued the sentences based on agreed-upon facts.
Munchel was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, matching the recommended sentence by the prosecutors. Eisenhart, a nurse with over three decades of experience, received a prison term of two-and-a-half years.
Before his sentencing, Munchel acknowledged the inexcusable and wrong nature of his actions, stating that he went to Washington to protect his mother in case the situation escalated into violence. Eisenhart, on the other hand, chose not to address the judge in court.
Describing both individuals as basically good people, the judge acknowledged their acceptance of responsibility for their serious crimes.
Munchel and Eisenhart traveled from Nashville, Tennessee, to Washington, D.C., two days prior to the Stop the Steal rally held by then-President Donald Trump. They donned tactical vests and joined the Capitol siege, breaching the joint session of Congress responsible for certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. Munchel, dressed in all-black paramilitary gear and armed with a stun gun, even exchanged a fist bump with a member of an anti-government extremist group before entering the Capitol.
While inside the Capitol, Munchel stole zip tie handcuffs and provided one to his mother. Eisenhart shouted Treason! and Cowards! from the Senate gallery. Although their time inside the building was relatively short, lasting only 12 minutes, prosecutors emphasized that they had infiltrated one of the most sacred and sensitive areas of the Capitol.
Four days after the riot, FBI agents apprehended Munchel, resulting in the seizure of zip ties matching those taken from the Capitol. Eisenhart was arrested ten days later. Both remained in custody for over two months before their sentencing.
Defense attorney Joseph Allen argued that Munchel had participated in the protest due to his belief in an unlawful and corrupt election result. He emphasized that Munchel was a law-abiding citizen and not an insurrectionist or rioter.
In contrast, Eisenhart’s lawyer, Gregory Smith, disputed the government’s argument, claiming that there was no evidence to suggest that she and her son intended to use the zip ties or capture any members of Congress.
The Capitol riot has resulted in over 1,100 individuals being charged with federal crimes. Approximately 600 of them have received sentences ranging from three days to 22 years in prison.
In another recent development, a man associated with the Proud Boys extremist group pleaded guilty to obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder. Christopher Kuehne, a decorated military veteran, marched to the Capitol alongside a large group of Proud Boys. Kuehne admits to moving a portable lectern to block a closing door in the Crypt. His attorney highlighted his client’s clean record and military service, including two deployments to Iraq with the Marine Corps.
It is expected that Munchel and Eisenhart’s cases will serve as a reminder of the consequences faced by those involved in the Capitol riot, further reinforcing the legal repercussions for such actions.
