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A dallas a man who tried to fly abroad to join the Russian army and fight against Ukraine was sentenced Friday to six months in prison for violating the terms of his probation for the attack on the US Capitol four years ago.
Kevin Loftus, a 56-year-old U.S. Army veteran, was stopped from boarding a flight Oct. 28 from Dallas to Tbilisi, Georgia, via Istanbul, Turkey, when Turkish Airlines identified a “security flag” associated with him, federal prosecutors allege.
Loftus did not have court permission to travel abroad or drive from Texas to Iowawhere the FBI arrested him three days after his flight plans fell apart, prosecutors said.
Loftus told the FBI that he hoped to secure a 90-day visa to travel to Russia, where he intends to apply for temporary residency. Loftus said he used the Telegram messaging platform to communicate with a man who would put him in touch with Russia’s territorial defense unit, the Volunteer Army Corps.
“Loftus said he had already sent the man approximately $1,200 to purchase equipment for Russian soldiers,” prosecutors wrote. “Loftus said his intention was to fight for Russia and against Ukraine.”
Loftus refused to address the court before U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich sentenced him for violating his probation. The judge said Loftus had repeatedly breached 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” about Russian soldiers and wanted to help them.
“He had no idea if they could use him,” the lawyer said.
Loftus, a six-year Army veteran, intended to move permanently to another country, prosecutors allege.
“And his planned trip was for the express purpose of joining a foreign army to take up arms against one of this country’s allies and contrary to the foreign policy of this country,” they wrote.
In January 2021, Loftus traveled from Wisconsin to WashingtonDC, to attend then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House. After joining a mob of Trump supporters at the Capitol, he entered the building and took photos. He spent about five minutes in the Capitol.
Loftus was arrested at his home in Wisconsin days after the riot. He pleaded guilty in October 2021 to parading, demonstrating or picketing at the Capitol building.
After his arrest, Loftus posted comments about his case on social media, calling himself “famous” and a “hero” for his part in the January 6 attack.
“Loftus also stated that he gained that fame by ‘standing up for all Americans’ because he ‘broke the law,’ and that he would file charges against unidentified individuals after the criminal proceedings were concluded,” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors recommended 30 days in jail for Loftus, but Friedrich initially sentenced him to three years of probation.
For the probation violation, prosecutors asked for a six-month prison sentence. They noted that Loftus, while on probation, was also arrested in December 2023 and charged with DUI in Richardson, Texas. Loftus was required to attend a substance abuse program, but avoided prison time for that violation.
More than 1,500 people have been charged with crimes related to the riots at the Capitol. More than 1,000 of them were convicted and sentenced, and roughly two-thirds received prison terms ranging from a few days to 22 years.
Trump has repeatedly promised to pardon the Capitol rioters, but Washington, DC, district court judges have typically refused to postpone sentencing, plea hearings and trials until the president-elect returns to the White House.