Florida Proud Boys member Chris Worrell was sentenced to 10 years in prison for assaulting police officers during the riot on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol. Worrell had been on the run and was accused of faking an overdose to avoid prison.
In his bench trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth in Washington, D.C., Worrell was found guilty of charges including civil disorder, assault, resistance, and obstruction of officers using a dangerous weapon, as well as physical violence and other offenses. Judge Lamberth also imposed a 36-month supervised release with restitution of $2,000 and a $610 special assessment.
Prior to his disappearance, Worrell was facing prison time. Prosecutors initially sought a 14-year sentence, while Worrell requested 12 to 18 months, citing a health condition in a plea for court sympathy. However, text messages presented during the trial revealed that Worrell boasted about the assault, claiming he used a whole can of pepper gel on police officers during the riot.
Worrell vanished before his sentencing in August but was later found attempting to sneak back into his Naples, Florida, home. Prosecutors accused him of having no intention of ever turning himself in and admitted to faking the drug overdose, which landed him in the hospital for the same duration as his bench trial.
After discovering the lie, prosecutors urged the judge to reconsider the medical findings. A supplemental sentencing memo revealed several unsubstantiated or refuted claims made by Worrell about his medical treatment or conditions.
During trial, Worrell tearfully detailed his contemplation of suicide and claimed to have swallowed pills upon being apprehended by the FBI. Although expressing sympathy, Judge Lamberth criticized Worrell for referring to the defendants in Washington jails as political prisoners due to their involvement in the riot.
Worrell’s lawyer, Bill Shipley, attributed his client’s statements to a self-reinforcing, feedback loop within the jail.
Judge Lamberth’s departure from normal sentencing guidelines aligns with his past actions in other riot-related cases. For instance, he referred to rioter Jacob Chansley as a good man and sentenced another rioter, Anna Morgan-Lloyd, to probation.
Worrell’s sentencing highlights the serious consequences faced by those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot and serves as a reminder of the ongoing legal repercussions for their actions.
