Rapper who used US Capitol riot as album artwork set for longer jail sentence
A rapper who was involved in the US Capitol riots of January 2021 and used a photo of the event on an album cover has been recommended for an extended jail sentence.
As WUSA9 reports, Antionne ‘Bugzie The Don’ Brodnax pled guilty in October to four counts including unlawful entry and disorderly conduct.
According to court documents seen by the Washington Post, Brodnax admitted to law enforcement officers that he was present inside the Capitol on January 6, but purely to take photos and videos for a music video he was already in Washington, D.C. to shoot.
He was then arrested on March 11 after authorities were alerted to the artwork for his album ‘The Capital’, which sees him sat on a truck in front of the Capitol building as the riots unfolded.
As reported on Twitter by WUSA9‘s Jordan Fischer this week (February 7), the DOJ wants Brodnax to serve 21 months behind bars, owing to his previous criminal history and because he was on probation at the time of the January 6 riots.
DOJ, asking for 21 months for Antionne "Bugzie the Don" Brodnax, says the sentence is warranted by his extensive criminal history. He was on probation for a felony conviction when he entered the Capitol on January 6. pic.twitter.com/mitNhPfG4J
— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) February 7, 2022
In a sentencing memo last month, Brodnax’s lawyer Mary Maguire said (via HipHopDX) that she believes Bugzie The Don “should only be facing an advisory sentence of two-to-eight months.”
Another musician involved in the Capitol riots was Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer, who pled guilty last April to two charges related to his involvement in the January 6 riots.
The metal guitarist admitted to the obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a building with a dangerous weapon (carrying bear spray). CNN reports that a prison sentence of between 3.5 to 4.5 years has been suggested, based on a joint recommendation between prosecutors and Schaffer’s lawyers.
