- Thomas Baranyi was sentenced on Friday to 90 days in federal prison for his role in the Capitol riot.
- He pleaded guilty in February to a single charge of entering and remaining inside a restricted building.
- Insider previously reported that Baranyi had a troubled childhood and was once a Peace Corps volunteer.
Thomas Baranyi, a former Peace Corps volunteer from New Jersey, was sentenced to 90 days in federal prison on Friday for his role in the Capitol riot, court records show.
In addition to his prison sentence, Baranyi, 30, will have one year of supervised release, 60 hours of community service, and pay $500 in restitution.
The sentence is lighter than some had hoped. Federal prosecutors had argued for four months in federal prison for his actions on January 6, 2021, local media outlet NJ.com reported.
He pleaded guilty in February to a single charge of entering and remaining inside a restricted building, which typically carries a sentence of up to six months.
Baranyi was arrested after the FBI identified him from a TV interview in which she spoke about storming the Capitol. He witnessed the death of Ashli Babbitt, the former Air Force veteran fatally shot while participating in the insurrection, and he spoke to the press with blood on his hand.
After high school, Baranyi got into conspiracy theories
This reporter and Insider's Sophia Ankel previously reported on Baranyi's journey to becoming a Capitol rioter.
Baranyi's teenage years were marked by his parents' messy divorce, custody battle, and financial security, Insider reported.
His grandmother temporarily became his primary caregiver because she felt his parents' histories of alcohol addiction and domestic violence incidents made their homes unsafe for Baranyi, according to her witness statement.
Baranyi later moved into a home with his mother and her partner, who, Insider reported, had previously been convicted of child endangerment for kissing an 8-year-old while undressed.
Baranyi's father, Drake Baranyi, reignited a custody battle which led to his son living with him in a "crowded" apartment. The father continued to struggle with financial difficulties and addition, Insider reported.
At school, his classmates told Insider that he was nerdy and quiet. But one friend, Patrick Marrazzo, described Baranyi as "confrontational" and "disillusioned with the government."
After high school, Marrazzo said, Baranyi got into conspiracy theories.
Baranyi was academic, making the dean's list for academic excellence at his community college and getting accepted onto a highly regarded teacher training course.
Out of college, Baranyi joined the Peace Corps in Albania. A colleague described him as "very opinionated," and quick to anger.
He later enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 2020, but a spokesperson for the Marine Corps Training and Education Command confirmed to Insider that he left active duty before completing entry-level training.
