Derrick Evans has now been sentenced for storming the Capitol

Former West Virginia lawmaker Derrick Evans, who livestreamed himself on Jan. 6, pleaded guilty to a felony charge and was sentenced to three-months Wednesday.

By Edward Era Barbacena

 A former West Virginia legislator who stormed the U.S. Capitol on behalf of former President Donald Trump while livestreaming his felonious activity on Facebook was sentenced to three months in prison Wednesday.

Derrick Evans, who had been sworn in as a Republican state delegate just a few weeks before the Capitol attack, was arrested and charged just after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. He pleaded guilty this March.

Justice Department prosecutors had sought the three-month sentence for Evans, saying he cheered on rioters and told his followers, "The revolution has started!” His attorney told the court that being arrested and pleading guilty to a felony have "been a humbling experience for him" and noted that, as a result, he can no longer possess a weapon.

Evans appeared virtually for his sentencing, his head framed by a large portrait of him and his family. He told the judge that he took responsibility for his actions and that he'd let down his family. He said he regretted that his actions would leave his kids "fatherless for months."

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth was sympathetic and noted Evans' "impressive" support system. But he said that he felt incarceration was necessary and that he initially had been inclined to give Evans six months.

"I can't just give you probation in a case like this," Lamberth said. He added that he wished Evans the best, saying he didn't think he'd see him again and that he thought Evans could "live a good life again" after prison.

Several of Evans' supporters in his legal case downplayed his conduct on Jan. 6 and indicated they, too, believed in Trump's lies about the 2020 election. Evans, a supporter wrote in a letter to the judge, rushed the Capitol "as a form of peaceful protest" and was there "with the greatest of intentions." A letter credited him with “showing up to show support” at the U.S. Capitol. Another supporter described him as a role model. Wrote another supporter: “America would be a much better place to live if there were more people as passionate and caring as Derrick Evans.”

In the lead-up to Jan. 6, prosecutors said, Evans posted images on Facebook that read "FIGHT FOR TRUMP" and "JANUARY 6, We're Comin'!"

On Jan. 6, Evans livestreamed from the eastern side of the Capitol as rioters confronted police.