A woman known online as the "J6 praying grandma" is vowing to appeal a $103,000 fine and a six-month home confinement order she received for her presence in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, The Washington Examiner reported Tuesday.
On Monday, Rebecca Lavrenz, a 72-year-old Colorado bed-and-breakfast owner, was sentenced by a federal judge to a six-month home confinement despite prosecutors pushing for a 10-month prison sentence.
Lavrenz was convicted on four misdemeanor charges: entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct inside a restricted building with the intent to disrupt government proceedings, disorderly conduct on Capitol property, and picketing or demonstrating in the Capitol, The Denver Post reported, citing federal court records and the FBI's Denver Field Office.
A jury found Lavrenz guilty on April 4 after almost 26 hours of deliberation over four days, reported The Gazette.
Judge Zia Faruqui stated that Lavrenz had eroded public trust in the justice system with her criticism about the Jan. 6 prosecutions. Amid the trial, Faruqui conceded that Lavrenz's case was less severe than others but maintained that it was still a serious offense. Deciding against jail time, Faruqui opted instead for house arrest and a $103,000 fine.
Lavrenz, of Peyton, Colorado, has used a crowdfunding website to raise over $230,000, much of which she received after her trial conviction this year, prosecutors said. Like many other Capitol riot defendants, Lavrenz has used the GiveSendGo crowdfunding website to raise money from supporters.
Her attorneys said she has spent over $120,000 on legal fees, a $95,000 retainer for an appeal and $9,000 in court-related travel and hotel expenses.
Lavrenz's attorney, Roger Roots, told the Examiner she plans to appeal both her house arrest and the fine and added that the judge "basically seized her money to appeal the case."
Roots also noted that his defendant faces a six-month bar on accessing the internet, which he said essentially functions as a "gag order" and prevents his client from raising funds for the appeal as it hampers her business.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.