Kevin James Lyons

Last updated

Kevin Lyons
Born1980 (age 44–45)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationHVAC technician
Known forParticipation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack
Criminal statusReleased
Criminal charge Obstructing an official proceeding
Penalty51 months in prison

Kevin James Lyons (born 1980) is an American convicted felon who stole a photograph of Congressman John Lewis from house speaker Nancy Pelosi's office as he participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack, for which he was found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding and theft. On July 14, 2023, Lyons was sentenced to 51 months in prison. He was released on August 27, 2024, having serving just over one year.

Contents

Family life and career

Kevin James Lyons was born in 1982or1983. [1] In 2021, he lived in the Gladstone Park [2] neighbourhood of Jefferson Park, Chicago, [3] working in the city as a Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technician. [1] He is a father to two sons. [4]

2021 Capitol attack

Lyons participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack and stole a photograph of Congressman John Lewis and a staff member's wallet [5] [1] containing approximately $150 during the riot. [4] During the attack, Lyons was belligerent towards the Capitol Police, calling them "Nazis" and "SS". [4] Lyons filmed his activities inside the Capitol building; his footage was used in the trial of rioter Riley Williams. [6]

Lyons operated the Instagram account @chi_hvac [7] and the FBI identified him from a post he shared featuring a sign outside Pelosi's office, [8] [9] arrested him in January 2021, and charged him with theft. [1] On July 14, 2023, judge Beryl Howell found Lyons guilty of theft and sentenced him to four years and three months in prison. [4] Howell had previously found Lyons guilty of six charges [10] of obstructing an official proceeding, [4] in April 2023. [2] In court, Lyons described himself as an "idiot". [4]

Lyons was the first person from Illinois to be charged with crimes associated with the Capitol attack [11] and his sentence was the longest given to any Capitol rioter from the state until the sentencing of Shane Jason Woods later that year. [2] [12]

In November 2023, a conspiracy theory claimed Lyons, seen on video holding a vape pen, was an undercover FBI agent holding a badge. [13] The theory was promoted by far-right political figures including Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. [14] [15]

On August 27, 2024, Lyons was released after serving just over one year in prison. [16]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Man who took photo from Pelosi's office is sentenced to over 4 years for Capitol riot role". AP News. July 14, 2023. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Feurer, Todd (July 14, 2023). "Chicago man gets more than 4 years for storming Capitol - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Chicago man sentenced to 4 years in prison for role in January 6 riot at US Capitol". ABC7 Chicago. July 14, 2023. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reilly, Ryan J. (July 14, 2023). "'Idiot' Jan. 6 rioter who stole John Lewis photo from Nancy Pelosi's office gets 4 years". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  5. ↑ Meisner, Jason (July 14, 2023). "Chicago man who stole items from Pelosi's office gets 51 months". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ Reilly, Ryan J. (November 17, 2022). "Newly released video shows Capitol rioters raiding Nancy Pelosi's office on Jan. 6". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ Clench, Sam (July 16, 2023). "'Hello nice FBI lady': Alleged rioter's extraordinary email". NZ Herald . Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Jan. 6 attack: 35 people from Illinois charged in riot". Chicago Tribune. January 6, 2023. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  9. ↑ Seidel, Jon; Charles, Sam (January 13, 2021). "Chicago man allegedly told feds 'Wow you are pretty good' when shown his picture of Pelosi sign from US Capitol". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ Miller, Violet (April 8, 2023). "Chicago man who recorded himself inside Nancy Pelosi's office convicted in Jan. 6 riot". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Chicago man charged with entering Speaker Pelosi's office during Jan. 6 Capitol riot to face February trial - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. October 13, 2022. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Illinois man gets 4.5 years for attacking officer, cameraman on Jan. 6 - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. October 4, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Fact Check: No evidence convicted Jan. 6 protester is a federal agent". Reuters. November 21, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  14. ↑ Dorn, Sara. "New Jan. 6 Videos Released—Launching Wild Conspiracies From The Far Right". Forbes. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  15. ↑ Reilly, Ryan J. (November 20, 2023). "Sen. Mike Lee promotes a debunked conspiracy theory about a Jan. 6 rioter". Washington, D.C.: NBC News . Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  16. ↑ Markoff, Barb; Tressel, Christine; Jones, Tom (August 27, 2024). "Chicago man charged in January 6 riot to walk out of prison 3 years early". Chicago: ABC7 Chicago . Retrieved January 6, 2025.
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