A Lakeland woman was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to a charge connected to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
On Thursday, a federal judge sentenced Corinne Montoni, 33, to 30 days in prison and 24 months of supervised release, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). She was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Montoni was charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, entering a restricted building, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds after supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the building in an attempt to stop the certification of votes in the 2020 presidential election.
In June, Montoni pleaded guilty to the disorderly conduct charge in the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. as part of a plea deal.
According to the DOJ, an online tip pointed investigators to Montoni’s social media pages, where they found several incriminating posts. She illegally entered the Capitol through a broken door on the west side of the building, near the entrance to the Senate wing, court documents state.
“We’re in the Capitol ’cause this is our house,” Montoni said in a video posted to Instagram. “We paid for this, and they’re trying to steal it from us. Let’s go!”
Prosecutors revealed Montoni was part of a crowd that pushed back against Capitol Police officers in an attempt to make it further into the building. In another social media video, she is heard telling other rioters to “Push back! Push back!”
Montoni left the Capitol after about ten minutes and then returned to the building, prosecutors said. Posts to her Parler account included the following statements, according to the DOJ: “WE BREACHED THE CAPITOL OMG“; “Insurrection is coming. Hold the line. Stay vigilant.”; “Storming the Capitol to take back our country from traitors! This is OUR HOUSEEEE!”; and “Here’s a pretty little view from inside the Capitol at our traitor DC police, with a smashed window.”
In a Facebook post obtained by the DOJ, Montoni said, “We are DONE with these traitors. Today, we showed them how done we are. The Capitol building belongs to us, we the people. This is our house… We broke a few windows, sure but we are a peaceful protest occupying the people’s property.”
Montoni vowed to return to the Capitol on Inauguration Day with other Trump supporters, “letting the world know we REJECT progressive liberalism.” She was arrested in Lakeland on March 9, 2021.