Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Kansas man sentenced in Capitol riot 'ridiculously ashamed'

A U.S. Capitol Police officer closes a barricade around the U.S. Capitol on the second year anniversary of the violent insurrection by supporters of then-president Donald Trump, in Washington, Jan. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) A U.S. Capitol Police officer closes a barricade around the U.S. Capitol on the second year anniversary of the violent insurrection by supporters of then-president Donald Trump, in Washington, Jan. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Share
WASHINGTON -

A Kansas City, Kansas, man said he was "ridiculously ashamed" before he was sentenced Monday to four months of incarceration for joining a mob's attack on the U.S. Capitol.

U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan also ordered 48-year-old Kasey Hopkins to pay US$500 restitution in a video conference hearing. His incarceration will be followed by 24 months of probation, The Kansas City Star reports.

Hopkins acknowledged during the hearing that he was sent to prison in 2002 for a rape conviction. He said that after getting out, he tried to make amends and started a business.

But on Jan. 6, 2021, Hopkins breached the Capitol twice and entered a senator's private office, where he took pictures of rioters ransacking the room.

"I'm ridiculously ashamed to be here right now," he said, adding that "the mob mentality is a very, very real thing."

Chutkan praised Hopkins for undergoing "personal transformation," but she said his involvement in the riot "boggled my mind." Court documents said that Hopkins proposed "forming a group of 'Proud Felons for Trump' when he heard the Proud Boys might not accept men with felony convictions."

Hopkins initially was charged with four misdemeanors, but prosecutors dropped three of them in exchange for him pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

About 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes in the riot that temporarily halted the certification of U.S. President Joe Biden's victory and left dozens of police officers injured.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.