Edited by: TJVNews.com
As the January 6th attack on the US Capitol building in Washington, DC continues to dominate the headlines, it appears that one Brooklyn resident who participated that fateful day has pled guilty to three charges, including that of a felony, according to a report in the Gothamist.
Aaron Mostofsky, 35, from the Midwood section of Brooklyn is the son of Shlomo Mostofsky who is a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge.
The Gothamist reported on Wednesday that Mostofsky pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder, along with theft of government property and entering and remaining in a restricted building, both misdemeanors.
According to the plea deal that was reached on Wednesday, Mostofsky will face between 12 and 18 months in prison and the judge in the case will use sentencing guidelines by the federal government.
Mostofsky has admitted to dressing like a caveman and carrying a walking stick on that day and joined a group that was attempting to seek access to the Capitol building as they pushed against Capitol police officers.
The Gothamist reported that Mostofsky was draped in fur pelts and wore a bullet proof vest on January 6th. The report indicated that the bullet proof vest belonged to a Capitol police officer which Mostofsky picked up once he gained access to the building. He also picked up a riot shield as well.
Mostofsky wore the vest and carried the riot shield before entering the broken windows of the Senate Wing of the Capitol building, according to the Gothamist report. Soon thereafter, Mostofsky left the building and identified himself to a reporter as “Aaron from Brooklyn.” He also told the reporter that he believed that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.
According to the Gothamist report, Mostofsky’s legal defense team have said that their client was engaged in constitutionally protected expression of political views and that there was an overreaction by prosecutors to flashy photos of protesters wearing fur pelts.
The report indicated that Mostofsky’s attorney, Jeff Schwartz, in a previous court hearing had argued that his client, “was not part of the mob and he was not rampaging. He understands the whole thing in Washington got totally out of hand.”
Nachman Mostofsky who is the older brother of Aaron is an elected district leader in Brooklyn, according to the Gothamist report. Speaking to WNYC radio and the Gothamist, the older Mostofsky brother told them that Aaron was “pushed” into the Capitol building and did not go in on his own volition.
According to a court document that accompanied the plea agreement, it read of Mostofsky: “He joined a group of rioters who were resisting the police, intentionally lending his weight and strength to the effort to break through the police line. He was not forced into the line by other rioters, and his conduct was not involuntary, an accident, or a mistake.”
