Shane Jenkins, a Texas Trump supporter who wielded a metal tomahawk during the assault on the U.S. Capitol and allegedly profited from his illegal activities, has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
Jenkins, 45, received an 84-month prison term, 36 months of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $5,176 in restitution, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. His convictions, stemming from a March 2023 trial in the District of Columbia, include seven felonies and two misdemeanors, such as assaulting law enforcement with a deadly weapon.
Jenkins reportedly traveled from Houston to Washington, D.C., on January 5, 2021 after expressing his intention on social media to join the rioters disrupting the congressional session. His posts included statements like, I honestly wish we could drag ole Chuck Nancy and killary out and give em what for.”
Armed with a “Sog” brand “tactical” tomahawk ax, Jenkins, wearing protective gloves, struck a Capitol building windowpane six times with the spike end, causing the glass to pulverize with each hit.
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While striking the window, Jenkins incited the crowd, shouting “Are we going in or not?” He rallied other rioters, stating, “Bro, we’re going in that f— building one way or another. We paid for it; it’s our f— building.” The window was shattered, allowing the rioters to enter, wielding wooden furniture as weapons, prosecutors said.
Inside the Capitol, Jenkins, along with other rioters, confronted officers at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. He hurled various items, including a wooden desk drawer, a flagpole, a metal walking stick, and a broken wooden pole with a spear-like point at the officers.
After the riot, Jenkins openly boasted about his actions, expressing disdain for law enforcement. Prosecutors revealed that he earned over $118,888 from his criminal activities, even while incarcerated, through Jan. 6-inspired websites.
His defense argued that Jenkins had no financial gain from selling Jan. 6 merchandise and claimed his actions were driven by a “misunderstanding about the election.” The defense also highlighted Jenkins’ troubled past, including an incident in 1997 when he shot and killed his stepfather in self-defense.
Despite expressions of remorse and a statement that he got “caught up in the heat of the moment,” Jenkins received a prison sentence from U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta. The judge deemed Jenkins’ exploitation of like-minded individuals through social media and solicitation of monetary contributions as “shameful.”
