Guy Riffitt was the first person convicted by a jury for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol. Wylie man was the first to request a jury trial, and his request was denied.
Reffitt's trial demonstrated how the schisms that divide Americans have widened. It exposed how the country's deep political division has affected everyday Americans and their families, often in emotionally distressing and highly intimate ways.
Beyond the dinner table, the schism has pitted family members against one another, in this case, father against son, with far-reaching implications.
Who Is Nicole Reffitt -Guy Reffitt's Wife?
Nicole Reffitt is the wife of Guy Reffitt, who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for bringing a handgun to the US Capitol during the 6 January riot.
BBC described her as a woman with short, white-blonde hair who stated her husband was a loud talker and that she and her children made a joke about it:
"We say: 'Don't do a Guy.'" That involves cussing a blue streak as he does, or attempting to outdo or impress someone. She was present at the hearing of Guy.
My family ♥️ No matter what is thrown at us, we have always stayed together and stayed positive. Love my son, my Guy, and my girls...this mommas heart is broken 😞 pic.twitter.com/Mc4lqiTvoh
— Nicole Reffitt (@ReffittNicole) January 25, 2021Nicole sat close to her mother-in-law, Linda Reffitt, 74, who lives in an RV and traveled to Washington DC for the trial with her oldest son, Nathan.
As they recalled Guy's filthy language, some of which he had recorded in a video on January 6, the afternoon sun spilled into the room.
The tape was played in court by prosecutors. Guy Reffitt discussed Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, on the audio, using foul language and speaking of a nebulous plan to "pull" her out of the Capitol.
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Nicole told the BBC that she hoped she could slink out of the room at times like this. Still, she said, it's just bluster: her spouse poses no danger to anyone.
Nicole claimed after the verdict that her husband was used as an example to force all of the one-sixers (6 January defendants) to plead guilty. "Do not take one-sixers' plea," she encouraged, "we got this."
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Nicole Reffitt Appears The Court With Her Son Jackson Reffitt And Daughter Sarah
Guy's wife Nicole Reffitt and her daughters were seen outside the courthouse today. Nicole and Guy's son, Jackson's testimony was a crucial part of the prosecution's case.
The father and son had opposing political beliefs, which was not a problem until he informed the FBI about his father's move. Weeks before Guy Reffitt went from Wylie, Texas, to Washington, DC, to attack the US Capitol, Jackson, then 18, had tipped off the FBI.
On Christmas Eve, Jackson was frightened by a series of messages from his father on the family text chain. In them, the older Reffitt declared his plan to travel to Washington, D.C., "to rise up the way the Constitution was written."
It is impossible to be happy about hearing that my father is guilty on all accounts. But it is of no surprise, The DOJ proved everything with no fault.
— Jackson Reffitt (@jackson_reffitt) March 8, 2022Jackson said that he reported his father to the FBI because he was concerned about his father's ambitions. He later admitted that he grappled with feelings of remorse for betraying his father: "I just felt horrible."
Jackson received no response from the FBI at first. Then, in early January 2021, Guy hopped in his wife's Chevrolet, armed with AR-15 rifles, and headed to Washington, DC.
"We seized the US Capitol," he texted his family when the siege ended. "We are the People's Republic."
Older Reffitt returned to Texas and discussed his experiences with his son and other family members. According to Jackson's testimony, he boasted about his participation in the Capitol attack.
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Guy Reffitt informed his family, "I ignited the fire." He had no idea his kid was covertly filming him on his phone. He intimidated his kid, telling him not to notify the cops.
"If you turn me in, you're a traitor," Jackson's father informed him. "And traitors are executed."
Jackson soon talked with an FBI agent. His father was jailed within a few days. Following the ruling today, Jackson tweeted that it was "hard to be joyful."
"If my father had taken a plea agreement, he might have been home by now getting psychiatric assistance," he continued.
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While his daughter, Sarah said that a desire for one-upmanship fuelled her father; it caused him to not only swear like a sailor but also drove him to Washington DC.
Specifically, she said, he wanted to show Jackson the kind of man that he is.
"He's always trying to impress Jackson," she said. "And he didn't really impress anyone."
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Guy Riffitt Prison Sentence And Charges
Guy Riffitt was convicted of five felonies on Monday. It includes interrupting a congressional official process, trespassing at the Capitol while carrying a holstered semiautomatic weapon, interfering with police in a disturbance, and witness tampering.
Reffitt's conviction is the outcome of a massive federal investigation into the 6 January incident, which has resulted in prosecutors charging hundreds of people.
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He was convicted of carrying a firearm to the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack and was sentenced to 87 months in prison on Monday.
Reffitt, a member of the far-right militia organization the Texas Three Percenters, was the first defendant to face charges in connection with the incident.
In March, he was convicted on five felony counts, including delaying Congress' recognition of President Biden's Electoral College victory.
The 7.25-year term was significantly less harsh than the 15-year penalty requested by prosecutors, who maintained that Reffitt's activities amounted to terrorism.
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Judge Dabney Friedrich disagreed at a sentencing hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C. on Monday, noting previous Jan. 6 instances in which prosecutors did not seek such an increase.
Nonetheless, the punishment is the longest for a Jan. 6 offender to date. Reffitt will also be sentenced to three years of probation and must pay a $2,000 fine upon his release.
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