WASHINGTON DC — A former occupational therapist with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District from Willoughby who pleaded guilty to charges for her actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Friday to 15 months in prison.
Christine Priola was also sentenced to one year of supervised release and to pay $2,000 in restitution, according to a news release from the United State Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia.
Priola pleaded guilty in July to three charges:
- Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority
- Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds
- Unlawful Activities on Capitol Grounds, Parades, Assemblages and Display of Flags
She faced a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties.
RELATED: Willoughby woman faces up to 20 years after pleading guilty to felony for breaching U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6
On Jan. 6, Priola made her way to the U.S. Capitol grounds, carrying a large sign expressing her views, then illegally entered the restricted area on the east side of the Capitol Building, according to the DOJ. She joined the front lines of the riot, climbed the steps and entered the Capitol through the East Rotunda Doors. She went inside soon after the first rioters overcame law enforcement, then moved to the Senate chamber and entered the restricted floor area, still carrying a sign. She was in the Senate chamber for about 10 minutes, and inside the Capitol Building for about 30 minutes.
Sometime between Jan. 6 and Jan 12, 2021, Priola deleted photos, videos, chats and messages from between Jan. 4 and Jan. 7, 2021 from her cellphone, DOJ officials stated.
On or about Jan. 8, via a Twitter post, the FBI received an anonymous tip that Priola was the woman depicted in photos of Capital rioters released by the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department of persons of interest in the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6. The post also identified her as being employed with CMSD.
Priola sent a resignation letter to CMSD on Jan. 7, 2021, the same day she appeared in those photos released by D.C. police.
Priola was arrested in Ohio on Jan. 14, 2021, about a week after federal agents entered her home in Willoughby with evidence boxes and searched her house and garage. News 5 was on the scene but did not identify her at that time.
RELATED: CMSD staffer who resigned last week has been charged for her involvement in U.S. Capitol riots
Her arrest warrant stated that FBI agents recovered a laptop, two desktop computers, several thumb drives, an iPhone, clothing, a sign and other materials consistent with the photos taken of Priola on Jan. 6.
Agents searched Priola's phone and were unable to recover photos, videos, chats or messages from Jan. 4 to Jan. 7, but they did recover location data showing the device was just northeast of the U.S. Capitol at 4:23 p.m. on Jan. 6.
In the 21 months since the attack on the Capitol, more than 880 defendants have been arrested in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
About 272 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, including 95 individuals who have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.
About 412 individuals have pleaded guilty to a variety of federal charges, including 99 who pleaded guilty to felonies and 313 who pleaded guilty to misdemeanors.
About 280 federal defendants have had their cases adjudicated and received sentences for their criminal activity on Jan. 6, federal officials state, resulting in 152 sentences that include periods of incarceration.
The FBI continues to seek the public’s help in identifying 360 individuals believed to have committed violent acts on the Capitol grounds, including over 264 who assaulted police officers.
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