Rebecca Lavrenz, a Colorado woman who has branded herself online as the “J6 Praying Grandma,” was sentenced to six months of home confinement on Monday in connection with her involvement in the 2021 riot on the U.S. Capitol.
Supporters of then-President Donald Trump descended on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent the official certification of the 2020 election results, which gave Joe Biden the presidency. The former president has continued to claim, without evidence, that the election was “rigged” via widespread voter fraud but has denied stoking the violence that took place at the Capitol.
Lavrenz, 72, is one of more than 1,400 people who have been charged in relation to the Capitol riot. Prosecutors said Lavrenz testified that she walked down a hallway inside the Capitol on January 6 while looking for members of Congress.
On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui sentenced Lavrenz to a year probation with six months of home confinement and fined her $103,000, despite prosecutors pushing for a 10-month prison sentence.
Lavrenz, a bed-and-breakfast operator, gained attention for her outspoken criticism on social media of the Department of Justice‘s handling of January 6-related cases, and prosecutors accused her of “profiting off the celebrity of her conviction” with her media appearances.
While Lavrenz was charged with a misdemeanor, Faruqui told her “it’s still a grave offense” and denounced her public criticisms of the court system, which Lavrenz has labeled as “fake trials” with biased jurors.
“That does nothing but reduce public confidence people have in the system,” Faruqui said.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice via online form on Tuesday for comment.
As part of her sentence, the judge also imposed a unique restriction—banning Lavrenz from using the internet during her confinement in an attempt to prevent her from further profiting from her actions.
The move came after Lavrenz reportedly raised significant funds—over $230,000—through crowdfunding, which she has used for legal expenses and a nationwide speaking tour, where she continues to defend her actions, according to prosecutors.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that before her sentencing, Lavrenz claimed she was at the Capitol “out of obedience to God” and described her actions as part of a larger cause.
Lavrenz’s attorneys previously argued that the government’s attempt to imprison her was an infringement on her free speech rights, and her attorneys called her a peaceful, nonviolent, first-time offender.
While Laverenz received no prison time, her legal team plans to appeal the conviction and challenge the fine, which they argued is unprecedented for a misdemeanor case, the AP reported.
