Capitol Rioter Asks For Lenient Sentence Since He Already Suffered Loss Of His TSA Precheck

A Capitol rioter asked a judge for a lenient sentence—and his reasoning raised eyebrows.

Justin McAuliffe was present at the Capitol riot that took place on January 6, 2021.

The riot was a response to the election loss of former Republican President Donald Trump.

During the riot, Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building in Washington, DC. During the insurrection, rioters destroyed government property, vandalized the building and threatened government officials.

The event led to several deaths, over 100 law enforcement injuries and millions of dollars in damages.

McAuliffe was not only found guilty of participating in the Capitol riot, but also pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge for demonstrating and picketing inside Capitol building grounds back in November of 2021.

McAuliffe is due to be sentenced on Friday, but in the meantime has made a desperate plea to the judge for a lenient sentence.

McAuliffe's reasoning for asking for a lenient sentence was because he felt he had already paid for his crimes by being denied his TSA precheck and being banned by companies like Airbnb and Lyft.

According to McAuliffe, after being charged for his participation in the Capitol riot, his life was "turned upside-down."

Originally an accountant in Long Island, McAuliffe claimed he lost many clients after being charged for participating in the riot. He also said he was then dropped by Airbnb, let go from his other job at Lyft and had his TSA precheck pass revoked.

While TSA has not yet commented on the issue, the TSA website states US passengers can be suspended from the precheck program for "commit(ting) certain violations of federal security regulations."

A filing presented to the court via McAuliffe's attorneys claims he deserves a lenient sentence because McAuliffe has been working toward "personal redemption and growth" in the time since the riot.

The filing also stated:

"More than anything else, he deeply regrets bringing all this upon his wife and family...It is all his fault. He blames nobody but himself."

Twitter users aren't so sure McAuliffe deserves a lenient sentence, however.

McAuliffe is currently facing up to six months in prison as well as a fine of up to $5,000.