Joseph Howe

On January 6, Joseph traveled with Michael Sparks and other co-workers to the “March to Save America” rally at the U.S. Capitol. After attending the rally, which was held near the Ellipse, Joseph, his friends, and other participants made their way over to the Capitol grounds. As the crowd got fired up and began chanting, Joseph joined in and, following the directions of others, moved forward to enter the Capitol to protest.

Joseph was at the front of the crowd as they approached a line of law enforcement officers near the scaffolding of the northwest steps, which were set up for Biden’s inauguration. Grabbing a riot shield from one of the officers, Joseph and Michael were amongst those in the crowd who got into altercations with Police in the scaffolding structure.

Joseph and Michael eventually made their way to the stairway and moved toward the Upper West Terrace, where Joseph pushed a U.S. Capitol Police officer. Being among the first to reach the Upper West Terrace, Joseph kicked at the Senate Wing Door. Although Joseph did kick at the door, others in the crowd were ultimately responsible for kicking it open, allowing Joseph and others to enter. He moved through the building to the Crypt and verbally engaged with law enforcement. Before exiting the building, he sprayed officers with a fire extinguisher.

The next day, as Joseph and Michael were on their way home to Kentucky, images of Michael entering the Capitol began spreading online. Upon realizing that his image was circulating, Michael promptly contacted the Metropolitan Police Department to surrender and was subsequently arrested a few days later. Joseph was not arrested until October 28, 2022, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.  However, Joseph and Michael were charged together in November 2022.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced Joseph on two felony counts on 10/20/2023 and was sentenced to 50 months in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.  Joseph pleaded guilty on Aug. 1, 2023, to obstructing an official proceeding (being challenged at the Supreme Court as it is a financial document statute), assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, and attacking an officer. Even though Joseph and Michael’s actions were in response to a call to defend the Constitution, they realized they had no choice except to take a plea deal and pleaded guilty on August 1, 2023.

Their attorneys accused prosecutors of trying to unfairly blame Joseph and Michael for the violence and destruction perpetrated by other rioters around them. Neither Joseph nor Michael entered the Capitol out of ill intent, maliciousness, or seeking financial gain. Rather, they were present at the Capitol on January 6th out of a sincere commitment to defend the values of our county and exercise their right to express themselves in the halls of the Capitol. Michael said, “I’ll go again if given the opportunity.”  Hundreds of other Jan. 6 protestors have been charged under the same pretenses, including the former President Trump.

Joseph needs your prayers and your encouragement.