Capitol Riot

Capitol rioter who carried zip-tie handcuffs in viral photo is sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison

Eric Munchel was convicted of conspiracy and other charges alongside his mother, Lisa Eisenhart, who was also sentenced Friday to two-and-a-half years in prison

Protesters enter the Senate Chamber
Win McNamee/Getty Images

A Tennessee bartender who carried plastic zip tie handcuffs and a stun gun into the Senate gallery on Jan. 6, 2021, where he was captured in one the most widely shared photos of the U.S. Capitol riot, was sentenced Friday to nearly five years in prison.

Eric Munchel was convicted of conspiracy and other charges alongside his mother, Lisa Eisenhart, who was also sentenced Friday to two-and-a-half years in prison.

The photo that went viral after the riot shows Munchel jumping over a railing in the Senate gallery with a handful of zip-tie handcuffs in his hand.

On Jan. 6, 2021, supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol during the certification of Electoral College votes. NBCLX Political Editor Noah Pransky brings you a timeline of the day and the aftermath.

Earlier this week, former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison for orchestrating a failed plot to keep Donald Trump in power after the Republican lost the 2020 election, capping the case with the stiffest punishment that has been handed down yet for the U.S. Capitol attack.

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