Indiana woman clarifies her role in US Capitol riot, avoids prison time
WASHINGTON (WISH) — An Indiana woman will avoid prison time for her role in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6 as part of a plea deal.
Court records show Anna Morgan-Lloyd has agreed to plead guilty to a single count during a federal court hearing. Prosecutors have agreed to a sentence of probation, 40 hours of community service, and $500 restitution.
Investigators say Morgan-Lloyd traveled from Bloomfield, Indiana, to Washington, on Jan. 6 to show support for President Donald Trump. In a written statement to the court, Morgan-Lloyd says she didn’t damage anything but apologizes for that day.
She also wrote, “I felt ashamed that something meant to show support for the President had turned violent. This is not the way to prove any point. At first it didn’t dawn on me, but later I realized that if every person like me, who wasn’t violent, was removed from that crowd, the ones who were violent may have lost the nerve to do what they did. For that I am sorry and take responsibility. It was never my intent to help empower people to act violently.”
Morgan-Lloyd’s lawyer said in a statement, “Once Mrs. Lloyd understood the destruction and lawlessness of many who entered the U.S. Capitol, she was upset, contrite and remorseful. Though she did not defile or destroy any property, she acknowledges that her presence may have given comfort to those who committed acts of violence and acts of destruction. She hopes one day to return to the U.S. Capitol in homage and reverence to our country. Though she supported the past president in January, she totally accepts President Biden as the leader of our country. She respects the rule of law and was horrified when she saw videos of insurgents at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“She is a fine woman, who respects the rights of others and apologizes to the Court and our country for entering the Capitol — albeit through an open door. She is terrified and awed by the power of the Court. She makes no excuses for having entered the U.S. Capitol and in retrospect would never ever have come to Washington in January,2021. She begs the Court not to incarcerate her.”
Morgan-Lloyd and Dona Bissey, both of the Bloomfield area, were charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. They were said to be among some of the first people to go inside the Capitol in the Jan. 6 riots.
According to federal court documents, both Bissey and Morgan-Lloyd posted on Facebook that they were inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, with Morgan-Lloyd posting that it was the “best day ever” and Bissey posting it was “the most exciting day of my life.”
Morgan-Lloyd’s guilty plea is the second of a Hoosier in the Capitol riot. Jon Schaffer, the guitarist from Columbus, pleaded guilty in April, and agreed to cooperate with investigators. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
