A New York City judge’s son who referred to himself as a “caveman” eager to protest Donald Trump’s presidential election loss recently pleaded guilty to charges that he participated in the failed coup d’etat at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
Aaron Mostofsky, 35, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder and misdemeanor charges of theft of government property and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.
Under a plea bargain, Mostofsky is likely to face 12 months to 18 months in prison, plus a fine that could range from $5,500 to $55,000. He will also probably contribute $2,000 toward the $1.5 million in damages caused by the mob of Trump supporters.
Aaron Mostofsky was seen inside the Capitol wearing a fur costume and a bulletproof police vest that he was accused of stealing during the mayhem. He also gave a video interview inside the building, telling the New York Post he was there “to express my opinion as a free American that this election was stolen.”
According to court documents, Mostofsky – dressed as a caveman and carrying a walking stick or rod – was among the crowd gathered at 12:55 p.m. Jan. 6 as rioting terrorists overwhelmed a police perimeter stationed near the Peace Circle, due west of the Capitol building.
He and other pro-Trump terrorists then reached the West Plaza. At about 1:35 p.m., Mostofsky joined a mob of rioters pushing against a police line that was attempting to limit the crowd’s access to the Capitol.
Mostofsky used his weight and strength in the effort to break the police line. At about 2:09 p.m., he climbed exterior stairs to the Capitol’s Upper West Terrace, heading to the Senate Wing Door.
En route, he picked up a U.S. Capitol Police bullet-proof vest and donned it.
Minutes later, the crowd broke windows next to the Senate Wing Door, entered the Capitol, and broke the door open from inside the building. Mostofsky entered through the door at 2:13 p.m., about the 12th person to get inside that way.
He picked up a U.S. Capitol Police riot shield that had been set aside by another rioting terrorist and followed the crowd to a staircase, where they pursued a U.S. Capitol Police Officer upstairs and into the Ohio Clock Corridor, just outside the Senate Chamber.
At approximately 2:36 p.m., after giving an interview to a reporter, Mostofsky left the building, taking the police vest and riot shield with him. He was stripped of the shield by a U.S. Capitol Police officer.
Mostofsky was arrested on Jan. 12, 2021, in Brooklyn.
He is to be sentenced on May 6, 2022. He faces up to five years in prison on the felony charge and a $250,000 fine. Each of the misdemeanors carries up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.