The government said that Howard Richardson, a 72-year-old from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, "contributed to the breach of the police line that led directly to the storming of the Capitol doors." Federal prosecutors sought 46 months of incarceration for Richardson, who is the father of a 20-year veteran police officer, according to the government.

"Richardson also wrongly insisted that he carried a 'Back the Blue' flag on January 6 and not a Trump flag," the government said, adding (misspelling "unfazed"): "Apparently unphased by the irony of using a pro-police symbol to attack a police officer, Richardson made this assertion even though the video footage clearly shows his flag is a blue and red 'Trump' flag."