A man involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol is facing additional prison time after fleeing to Canada to avoid a nine-month sentence, federal prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday.
Newsweek has contacted the FBI via email and Antony Vo's attorney via phone for comment.
Why It Matters
More than 1,500 individuals have faced charges connected with the Capitol riot. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pardon those involved once he reenters the White House. However, he has not clarified whether the pardons would include rioters convicted of violence or property destruction.
What To Know
Vo, 32, of Indiana, was arrested on January 6, 2025, the fourth anniversary of the riot, by Canadian border agents in Whistler, British Columbia, after allegedly entering the country illegally while applying for asylum.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Attorney's Office announced charges for "failure to surrender for sentence," which could add another year to Vo's sentence.
Vo, who attended the Capitol riot with his mother, was convicted of multiple offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building and parading in a Capitol.
Prosecutors said Vo was supposed to self-surrender to a federal facility in Kentucky in June 2024 but fled to Canada instead.
The Toronto Star, which spoke with Vo while he was snowboarding in Whistler the day before his arrest, reported that he crossed the border illegally via North Dakota or Montana.
He told the outlet that he funded his escape through personal savings and had sold a car before leaving the U.S. Once in Canada, he applied for asylum, saying in his application that he feared political persecution at the hands of his judge and President Joe Biden's administration.
Vo told the Star he was "pretty much 99 percent sure" Trump would pardon him once in office. Trump has publicly suggested he may pardon some rioters but has not committed to blanket amnesty.
What People Are Saying
Rebecca Purdy, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency, told Law & Crime: "The CBSA has a legal obligation to remove all foreign nationals who are inadmissible to Canada under the IRPA and who have a removal order in force."
Sharry Aiken, a law professor at Queen's University, told the Toronto Star: "He is fleeing the implementation of a criminal conviction that he received in a process meted out by an independent judiciary that respects the rule of law."
What Happens Next
Vo's asylum claim and removal proceedings remain under review in Canada. Meanwhile, U.S. prosecutors are pursuing charges for his failure to surrender, which could extend his prison time if convicted. Trump is set to take office on Monday.
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