Capitol rioter who tried to join Russian army is sentenced to prison for probation violation

WASHINGTON — A Dallas man who tried to fly overseas to join the Russian military and fight against Ukraine was sentenced on Friday to six months in prison for violating the terms of his probation for storming the U.S. Capitol four years ago.

Kevin Loftus, a 56-year-old veteran of the U.S. Army, was stopped from boarding an Oct. 28 flight from Dallas to Tbilisi, Georgia, by way of Istanbul, Turkey, when Turkish Airlines identified a ''security flag'' associated with him, according to federal prosecutors.

Loftus didn't have the court's permission to travel internationally or to drive from Texas to Iowa, where the FBI arrested him three days after his flight plans fell apart, prosecutors said.

Loftus told the FBI that he had hoped to secure a 90-day visa to travel to Russia, where he intended to apply for temporary residency. Loftus said he had used the Telegram messaging platform to communicate with a man who would connect him with the Russian Territorial Defense Unit, a volunteer military corps.

''Loftus said he had already sent the man approximately $1200 to purchase equipment for Russian soldiers,'' prosecutors wrote. ''Loftus said his intent was to fight for Russia and against Ukraine.''

Loftus declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich sentenced him for the probation violation. The judge said Loftus has repeatedly violated court orders.

''He doesn't think these rules should apply to him,'' Friedrich said. ''He wants to be above the law.''

Defense attorney Benjamin Schiffelbein said Loftus wanted to enlist in the Russian military because he ''felt bad'' for Russian soldiers and wanted to help them.

''He had no idea whether they could make use of him," the lawyer said.

Loftus, a six-year Army veteran, intended to permanently relocate to another country, according to prosecutors.

''And his planned travel was for the express purpose of joining a foreign army to take up arms against one of this country's allies and in opposition to this country's foreign policy,'' they wrote.

In January 2021, Loftus traveled from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., to attend then-President Donald Trump's ''Stop the Steal'' rally near the White House. After joining the mob of Trump supporters at the Capitol, he entered the building and took photographs. He spent approximately five minutes inside the Capitol.

Loftus was arrested at his Wisconsin home several days after the riot. He pleaded guilty in October 2021 to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

After his arrest, Loftus posted comments about his case on social media, referring to himself as ''famous'' and a ''hero'' for taking part in the Jan. 6 attack.

''Loftus also stated that he gained that fame by ‘standing up for all Americans' because he ‘broke the law,' and he would file lawsuits against unidentified persons after the criminal case was over,'' prosecutors wrote.

Prosecutors recommended 30 days of imprisonment for Loftus, but Friedrich initially sentenced him to three years of probation.

For his probation violation, prosecutors requested a six-month prison sentence. They noted that Loftus, while on probation, also was arrested in December 2023 and charged with driving while intoxicated in Richardson, Texas. Loftus was required to attend a substance abuse program, but he avoided jail time for that violation.

Over 1,500 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related crimes. More than 1,000 of them have been convicted and sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving a term of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years.

Trump has repeatedly vowed to pardon Capitol rioters, but the district court judges in Washington, D.C., typically have refused to postpone sentencings, plea hearings and trials until after the president-elect returns to the White House.