A Texas man convicted for his role in the Capitol Riots could face a 15-year prison sentence Monday, as prosecutors have argued for a terrorism enhancement.

The potential sentence — the longest sought to date for the Jan. 6 attack — is four years longer than the maximum recommended by federal advisory guidelines. The federal district judge's decision could determine whether Capitol rioters face terrorism charges.

Guy Wesley Reffitt, 49, a member of the far-right militia group the Texas Three Percenters, had not accepted a plea deal and was later convicted on March 8 of five felony charges, including two counts of civil disorder, and one count each of obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a firearm, and obstruction of justice.

Reffitt's teenage son, who turned him over to the FBI, testified that Reffitt had warned him and his 16-year-old sister that “if you turn me in, you’re a traitor, and traitors get shot."

Prosecutors claim that Reffitt's intentions were "to use his gun and police-style flexicuffs to forcibly drag legislators out of the building and take over Congress."

The Justice Department explained in March that on the day of the Capitol Riots, Reffitt was wearing “body armor and carrying handguns, flexi-cuffs, and radios for communication. Reffitt also had a megaphone as well as a helmet with a camera mounted on the top for recording purposes."

The Justice Department noted that Reffitt was specifically targeting Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican. The Justice Department also cited that at one point Reffitt’s camera recorded him saying, “We’re taking the Capitol before the day is over."

Reffitt is a former oil industry rig manager from Wylie, a northeastern suburb of Dallas. His attorney has sought a two-year sentence.

More than 850 people have been charged in Capitol Riots. In November, Jacob Anthony Chansley, the 34-year-old Arizona man also known as the "QAnon Shaman," was sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role on Jan. 6, 2021.

RELATED STORIES