Kevin James Lyons
Kevin Lyons | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | HVAC technician |
| Known for | Participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack |
| Criminal charge | Obstruction of an Official Proceeding (Vacated on Dec. 12, 2024) |
| Penalty | 51 months in prison (Vacated on Dec 12, 2024) |
Kevin James Lyons (born 1980) is an American convicted criminal who stole a photograph of Congressman John Lewis from house speaker Nancy Pelosi's office as he participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
Family life and career
[edit]Kevin James Lyons was born in 1982 or 1983.[1] In 2021, he lived in the Gladstone Park[2] neighbourhood of Jefferson Park, Chicago,[3] working in the city as a Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technician.[1] He is a father to two sons.[4]
2021 Capitol attack
[edit]Lyons participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack and stole a photograph of Congressman John Lewis and a staff member's[5] wallet[1] containing approximately $150 during the riot.[4] During the attack, Lyons was belligerent towards the Capitol Police, calling them "Nazis" and "SS".[4] Lyons filmed his activities inside the Capitol building; his footage was used in the trial of rioter Riley Williams.[6]
Lyons operated the Instagram account @chi_hvac[7] and the FBI identified him from a post he shared featuring a sign outside Pelosi's office,[8][9] arrested him in January 2021, and charged him with theft.[1] On July 14, 2023, judge Beryl Howell found Lyons guilty of theft and sentenced him to four years and three months in prison.[4] Howell had previously found Lyons guilty of six charges[10] of obstructing an official proceeding,[4] in April 2023.[2] In court, Lyons described himself as an "idiot".[4]
Lyons was the first person from Illinois to be charged with crimes associated with the Capitol attack[11] and his sentence was the longest given to any Capitol rioter from the state until the sentencing of Shane Jason Woods later that year.[2][12]
In November 2023, a conspiracy theory claimed Lyons, seen on video holding a vape pen, was an undercover FBI agent holding a badge. The theory was promoted by far-right political figures including Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.[13]
His felony conviction of "obstruction of an official proceeding" was vacated on Dec 12, 2024.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Man who took photo from Pelosi's office is sentenced to over 4 years for Capitol riot role". AP News. July 14, 2023. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ a b c Feurer, Todd (July 14, 2023). "Chicago man gets more than 4 years for storming Capitol - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ "Chicago man sentenced to 4 years in prison for role in January 6 riot at US Capitol". ABC7 Chicago. July 14, 2023. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "'Idiot' Jan. 6 rioter who stole John Lewis photo from Nancy Pelosi's office gets 4 years". NBC News. July 14, 2023. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ Meisner, Jason (July 14, 2023). "Chicago man who stole items from Pelosi's office gets 51 months". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ "Newly released video shows Capitol rioters raiding Nancy Pelosi's office on Jan. 6". NBC News. November 17, 2022. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ Clench, Sam (July 16, 2023). "'Hello nice FBI lady': Alleged rioter's extraordinary email". NZ Herald. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ "Jan. 6 attack: 35 people from Illinois charged in riot". Chicago Tribune. January 6, 2023. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ Seidel, Jon; Charles, Sam (January 13, 2021). "Chicago man allegedly told feds 'Wow you are pretty good' when shown his picture of Pelosi sign from US Capitol". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ Miller, Violet (April 8, 2023). "Chicago man who recorded himself inside Nancy Pelosi's office convicted in Jan. 6 riot". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ "Chicago man charged with entering Speaker Pelosi's office during Jan. 6 Capitol riot to face February trial - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. October 13, 2022. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ "Illinois man gets 4.5 years for attacking officer, cameraman on Jan. 6 - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. October 4, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ Dorn, Sara. "New Jan. 6 Videos Released—Launching Wild Conspiracies From The Far Right". Forbes. Retrieved November 21, 2023.