The son of longtime conservative activist Brent Bozell will spend 45 months in federal prison for breaking windows and being among the first to breach the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a judge ruled on May 17.
Leo Brent Bozell IV, 44, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, received a substantially lower prison term than the 140 months being sought by the U.S. Department of Justice or the 60 months recommended by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services. He had asked for a prison term no longer than 30 months.
Mr. Bozell—who goes by the childhood nickname “Zeeker”—was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Bates to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $5,234 in fees and restitution.
The son of Media Research Center President Brent Bozell III was arrested on Feb. 12, 2021, and charged with seven federal counts, including obstructing an official proceeding, destruction of government property, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and three other charges.
A superseding grand jury indictment in March 2023 added felony charges of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.
Mr. Bozell was found guilty on 10 charges on Sept. 8, 2023, in a bench trial before Judge Bates.
Prosecutors told Judge Bates that Mr. Bozell “led the charge in a violent attack on the United States Capitol.”
“He positioned himself at the forefront of the mob during pivotal moments of the attack as he actively and aggressively propelled the momentum of the mob from the Senate Wing Doors—where he personally created entry points for hundreds of rioters—all the way to the Senate Chamber, which he occupied, rendering it impossible for Congress to meet,” prosecutors wrote.
Mr. Bozell took part in or led breaches under the inauguration scaffolding, on the landing and the top of the Northwest Steps, the Senate Wing Door entrance to the Capitol, the Carriage Door, the east Rotunda doors, the Senate Gallery and the Senate floor, prosecutors said.
Swept Up in Crowd
In the Senate Chamber, Mr. Bozell pointed a C-SPAN television camera down so it would not record the actions of the rioters, prosecutors said.“Mr. Bozell does not deny his involvement in the events of January 6th,” the document said. “He does maintain, however, that his motivation for attending the rally was not to commit violence or destruction.
“At the time, he believed that the 2020 Presidential election was ‘rigged,’ as President Trump was declaring, that an accurate audit or recount had not been accomplished, and that he should protest that wrong.”
Mr. Bozell was described as a devoted Catholic father of three girls, a man who is always ready to help out a neighbor, friend, or stranger.
“He is now aware of the impact that his actions have caused, especially for the Capitol Police and officials at the Capitol,” the sentencing memo said. “He accepts full responsibility for that impact. He is also aware of the devastating ramifications that his actions have on his family, and in particular his three children.”
Mr. Bozell and his attorney objected to the DOJ’s recommendation to use so-called sentencing enhancers based on terrorism.
“Mr. Bozell is not remotely like a terrorist who perpetrates mass killings of innocent civilians or seeks to violently overthrow governments,” the sentencing memo read. “Mr. Bozell did neither of these things. He broke two windowpanes, handed up a pole from one person to another, and allowed himself to get swept up in the fervor of fellow January 6th rioters.
“However, Mr. Bozell’s actions, while serious, were contained, non-violent, and more akin to vandalism and rioting than terrorism,” the document said.
Mr. Bozell will be allowed to self-surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Judge Bates said.
