An individual who portrayed a St. Louis Cardinals mascot, initially being an amateur, has recently pleaded guilty to a charge associated with his involvement in the 2021 Capitol attack. This individual became entangled in a conspiracy theory surrounding the events of January 6th.
Rally Runner, previously identified as Daniel Donnelly Jr., has admitted his guilt in a single count of civil disorder. This offense is punishable by a maximum prison term of five years, a fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The court has scheduled his sentencing for July 30.
In a statement released on Friday, Scott Rosenblum, the attorney for Runner, expressed that his client is ready to take responsibility for his actions and begin a new chapter in his life.
During a national television appearance, accusations were made against Runner, claiming that he had been working on behalf of the government to instigate certain actions on January 6. On Tucker Carlson’s former Fox News show in 2021, a lawyer representing several defendants involved in the Capitol riot falsely asserted that Runner was “clearly a law enforcement officer” and an “agent provocateur” who had posed as a Trump supporter in order to tarnish the reputation of the former president’s followers.
Runner, who was taken into custody in St. Louis, Missouri, in August, faced a total of five federal charges. These charges included obstructing, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder. As part of his plea agreement, the prosecutors agreed to drop the other counts in the indictment during his sentencing, as mentioned in the court documents.
During the Capitol riot, Runner, a well-known St. Louis Cardinals fanatic who typically runs around the baseball stadium to energize fans, participated in the event while wearing red face paint, a red “Keep America Great” hat, and a red jacket. Along with a group of rioters, Runner attempted to gain entry into the Capitol building through the Lower West Terrace doorway. Prosecutors revealed that Runner actively assisted in passing a ladder towards the tunnel’s opening and also used a riot shield to forcefully push back officers. Although the officers successfully resisted Runner and the other rioters’ advancement after a 10-minute struggle, his involvement in the event is documented in court records.
According to court documents, Runner stated in a 26-minute video posted on Facebook that his intention during the events of January 6th was to secure a riot shield and be the person who made the least progress or went the furthest. He clarified that his goal was not to incite violence, but rather to distance himself from any violent activities.
Over the past three years, the judicial system has handed down sentences to approximately 500 individuals involved in the attack. These sentences have varied in length, with some defendants serving as little as a few days in jail, while others have received much longer terms of up to 22 years in federal prison.