New York resident Ralph Celentano, 56, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison. District Judge Timothy Kelly said Celentano’s actions Jan. 6 were “disgraceful” and the attack on the officer was “a truly cowardly and despicable thing to do,” NBC News reported.
Celentano was arrested in 2022 in connection to his role in the Capitol riots and was found guilty last year of multiple misdemeanor and felony charges
According to court documents, Celentano and other rioters successfully breached the police line. He then spotted a Capitol Police officer with his back turned near a raised platform, and hit the officer in a “football style tackle,” according to the documents. The documents said the officer then flipped over the ledge and fell onto the officers below him.
“Celentano’s conduct on January 6, 2021 demonstrates a violent character and disrespect for law enforcement, which weighs in favor of a lengthy term of incarceration,” the sentencing memo states.