Jan. 6 Rioters Sentenced: Praise for Ramaswamy, 11-Year Prison Terms

Former California police chief Alan Hostetter, convicted of a conspiracy charge in the U.S. Capitol riot, has been sentenced to over 11 years in prison after praising Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy's suggestion that the attack could have been an "inside job." Hostetter, who carried a hatchet during the riot, falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen and referred to the riot as a "false flag" operation. Ramaswamy's mention of the conspiracy theory during a GOP debate has drawn attention, but FBI Director Christopher Wray has called it "ludicrous." Hostetter's conviction was for crossing police lines and being part of the riot, and he received the third-longest sentence among non-seditious conspiracy defendants.