Prison, Probation, and Pending Charges: The Who's Who of Massachusetts' January 6th Insurrection Defendants

     Massachusetts, the small New England state resting against and in many places defined by its unique connection to the cool waters of the Atlantic Ocean, is an unsuspecting state to find insurrectionists intent on destroying the democracy that Massachusetts residents like John and Samuel Adams and James Otis, Jr. played a large part in forming in the first place. However, with arrests in 49 states, it seems clear now that degenerates unable to accept defeat and willing and able to act violently upon that premise will crawl from their dens in every corner of the country, and Massachusetts is no exception. 13 Massachusetts residents have now been arrested for their roles in the violence that transpired on that dreadful day, and the Bay State is home to some of the most serious and violent offenders.

     Brian McCreary, a North Adams pizza delivery driver turned in by a coworker, became a familiar face for standing with a blue mask over his long beard and recording as other, mostly unmasked faces like QAnon Shaman Jacob Chansley and Doug Jensen antagonized officers. McCreary pleaded guilty fairly early on to a misdemeanor charge of parading in the Capitol and was sentenced to 42 days in jail to be served on weekends. He also received two months of house arrest, three years of probation, and $3,000 in fines and restitution for his actions.

     Suzanne Ianni, formerly of Natick, was the head of an anti-LGBTQ hate group called Super Happy Fun America that made headlines for hosting a "Straight Pride Parade" some years back. Ianni got off fairly easy for her actions, which included recruiting supporters by the busload to similarly participate in civil disorder, something that earned John Douglas Wright of Ohio 49 months in prison. Ianni pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and was sentenced to 15 days in jail with 30 months of probation, 60 hours of community service, and $500 restitution

     The same cannot be said for her colleague at Super Happy Fun America, Mark Sahady, a former Army software engineer who was charged via a superseding indictment with obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony that could send him to prison for years. He is scheduled to go on trial later this year on this charge as well as numerous related misdemeanors.

     Already convicted of this charge at trial is Noah Bacon, who had a guilty verdict on this felony and five related misdemeanors returned by a jury on March 2nd. Bacon wore an "I Heart Trump" shirt, covered up a security camera, and sat in the Senate gallery. Bacon, who comes from a family of Democrats, was recently sentenced to a year in prison. In a twist of fate, there is one other Republican felon in this family: Sam Patten, a key witness in the Mueller probe who pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered lobbyist for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine; Patten sent a letter to the court asking for mercy for his younger cousin.

     Then there's Troy Sargent, a Pittsfield resident who bragged about punching a rookie police officer and pleaded guilty to felony counts of obstructing law enforcement during civil disorder and assault on a law enforcement officer as well as four misdemeanors related to trespass and disorderly conduct. In spite of the DOJ requesting 31 months in prison, he got sentenced to just 14 months by Judge Thomas F. Hogan, who also ordered him to spend two years on probation and pay $500 in restitution.

     The assaults don't end there. Vincent Gillespie, the son of the late famed artist Gregory, was convicted by a jury in December of the most serious set of charges any Massachusetts resident is facing: three felonies for obstructing Congress and assaulting and impeding law enforcement as well as five misdemeanors. The younger Gillespie, 61, of Athol, screamed at officers before shoving his way to the front of a crowd, grabbing a riot shield, and using it to attack officers. He received the longest sentence of any Massachusetts resident to date, 68 months (five years and eight months) in prison.

     Jacquelyn Starer, a practicing gynecologist in Ashland, was charged with two felonies and multiple misdemeanors for repeatedly punching a female police officer on the side of the head. Her story is a particularly extraordinary one: she was a known Reaganite Republican, but seemed far from an extremist who would storm the Capitol. Her specialty as a doctor was treating women struggling with addiction, she was engaged at her local school bake sales, and she had a fondness for ballroom dancing. In spite of the seeming disconnect, the enormous chasm between believing in small government and trying to subvert government, she weaponized her medical knowledge to assault a law enforcement officer, and she needs to go to prison for what she did.

     It was a law enforcement man himself who would be the latest MA resident charged for his actions on January 6th. Joseph Fisher was a Boston K-9 officer who entered the Capitol clad in the logos of various local sports teams. As an officer chased after another suspect who had pepper sprayed police, Fisher tossed a chair at said officer, tripping him. Fisher had a noteworthy career before January 6th: he was the subject of a 2012 story about the bond between police K9s and their officers, he was pictured at a press conference during the hunt for the Boston Marathon bombers in 2013, and he was featured as an expert on the Oxygen Network in 2019.

     Although he was not charged with a felony, Chase Allen probably should have been. He was charged with and ultimately pleaded guilty to physical violence on Capitol grounds after he helped destroy media equipment and then lied about it, earning a sentence of three years of probation and $500 restitution.

     Michael St. Pierre of Swansea probably won't get off as lightly. A grocery store owner who entered the Capitol grounds on his birthday, he faces a felony civil disorder charge and five related misdemeanors for throwing objects at a door, pushing past a police line, and encouraging others to storm the Capitol while stating he wanted to grab Nancy Pelosi "by the hair." Identified and interviewed by a local news station and the FBI just days after the attack, he expressed regret for his actions and said he was done with politics. Whether or not that is true and whether or not it will have any impact on his case remains to be seen.

     Another recent arrest nabbed two Worcester roommates, Long Duong and Julie Miller (also known as Hong Ngo). The pair traveled to Virginia for a vacation and decided to go to Washington, D.C. to see Trump speak, after which they made their way into the Capitol and the trashed Senate parliamentarian's office.

     Awaiting sentencing is the final Massachusetts resident charged in the Capitol insurrection, Stefanie Chiguer. An associate of Michael Eckerman of Kansas, who was sentenced to 20 months in prison for assaulting law enforcement on January 6th, she was also the girlfriend of New Hampshire's Kirstyn Niemela, who was convicted of four misdemeanor charges at trial and received a year in prison and with whom Chiguer had apparently had domestic disputes. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of parading in the Capitol; whether she gets jail time is up in the air at this point, although her associations alone make her deserving from my point of view.

     In short, the prosecution of Massachusetts insurrection suspects has been a huge success, with some of the most egregious and disruptive individuals with some of the most interesting and unknown stories being arrested, convicted, and sentenced one after another. More of each of these are coming in the weeks, months, and years to come as we continue to seek accountability for this incomprehensible assault on America's democracy.