Rapper Who Posed During Capitol Riots to Serve 5 Months in Prison

Rapper Bugzie the Don, who posed on the steps of the U.S. Capitol during the Capitol Riots, has been sentenced to five months in prison.

Former Virginia rapper Bugzie the Don is looking at prison time after posing for an album cover during the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021. On Monday (December 19), a federal judge sentenced Bugzie the Don, real name Antione Brodnax, to five months in prison and a month of probation after the 39-year-old used a photo of himself in front of the Capitol building for his LP The Capital, per WUSA 9.

After rejecting a plea deal for a single count of misdemeanor, Brodnax pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts, with prosecutors asking that he spend 21 months in prison due to his lengthy criminal record. Brodnax, who relocated to Georgia following his arrest, has a criminal history that includes prior felony convictions in Virginia and Maryland for manufacturing a controlled substance and being in possession of a firearm as a felon.

The Justice Department also said Brodnax deserved an enhanced sentencing due to deleting evidence of the riot from his phone after promising that he'd send photographs and videos to the FBI. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman agreed with the Justice Department, ruling Brodnax had willfully obstructed the administration of justice.

The rapper’s attorney, Mary Maguire, argued that Brodnax was a "great community asset," seeking a probationary sentence with a period of home detention.  In court filings, she described Brodnax as an entrepreneur, as the rapper has a music label and clothing line coined "Don Status."

Ultimately, the decision was left up to Friedman, who mentioned concerns over Brodnax’s long criminal history, stacked disciplinary issues while in custody and the rapper being on probation for another crime when he posed in front of the Capitol building.

“He’s had a problem historically with following conditions imposed upon him,” Friedman said.