A brother and sister from Arizona have been sentenced to weeks in prison for their participation in the 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Felicia Konold, 29, and Cory Konold, 28, of Tucson were sentenced Wednesday by a federal judge in Washington, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Last year, the two pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, as well as aiding and abetting.
Felicia Konold is set to serve 45 days in prison, and her brother 30 days. Both will have 24 months of supervision following their release.
Federal prosecutors had asked for six months for the sister and three months for the brother. They argued that Felicia Konold deserved a harsher sentence because of her preplanning, aggravated conduct and lack of repentance.
“Felicia Konold’s own diary entries reflect a degree of preparation for the riot and ... her ‘pre-planning notes’ show that she ‘fully anticipated that she would be engaged in violence,’” they wrote in a sentencing recommendation.
The siblings met up with members of the Proud Boys extremist group on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, and then forced their way into the U.S. Capitol alongside other rioters, prosecutors said.
Cory Konold, during the melee, took a riot helmet belonging to a police officer, which he brought home with him, prosecutors said. A family member later returned it to law enforcement at his direction.
Felicia Konold, shortly after the Capitol attack, allegedly posted a video on social media that showed her celebrating and marveling at her leadership abilities throughout the events.
“I never could ... have imagined having that much of an influence on the events that unfolded today,” she said, according to the criminal complaint.
“Dude, people were willing to follow. You fucking lead, and everyone had my back, dude … my feet weren’t even on the ground, all my boys, behind me, holding me up in the air, pushing back,” she allegedly said, adding, “We fucking did it.”
Felicia Konold also showed off a “challenge coin” with “Proud Boys” markings, boasting that she was recruited into a “chapter from Kansas City,” prosecutors said. She allegedly said that she was “with them now” while showing off the coin.
Felicia Konold defended her behavior in a February 2021 interview with Tucson station KOLD, and denied having ever “talked to” any member of the Proud Boys.
“I’m not just fighting for my freedom. ... I’m fighting for all of America’s freedom,” she said following a court hearing at the time.