Two Illinois sisters sentenced to probation in U.S. Capitol riot
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two sisters from Illinois have been sentenced to 30 months of probation, after they pleaded guilty earlier this year to joining the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Trudy Castle, of Chicago, and Kimberly DiFrancesco, of Elmhurst, were both sentenced Tuesday morning in federal court in D.C.
In addition to the 30 months of probation, both also must pay a $2,000 fine, $500 in restitution, and a $10 special assessment as part of their sentence.
DiFrancesco and Castle both pleaded guilty in August to one count of misdemeanor parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
The sisters admitted to joining the crowd that broke into the Capitol, disrupting a joint session of Congress to confirm the Electoral College results of the 2020 presidential election.
Video footage showed DiFrancesco wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, green pants, gray gym shoes, black jacket, black backpack, and black hat or gaiter as she entered the U.S. Capitol through the Senate Wing door around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021.
Alongside her in the footage was Castle, seen wearing a white jacket; dark pants; and a red, white, and blue knit "Trump" hat with a pom-pom. Castle also was carrying several small American flags and a black satchel, according to the charges.
Video footage shows the two women walking around inside the Capitol, while DiFrancesco appeared to be talking on a handheld radio, before both of them left the building shortly after 3 p.m.
The feds said the two women did not immediately leave the area, but instead met with Castle's adult son while outside. Then, around 4:20 p.m. Castle and DiFrancesco tried to go back inside the Capitol, but by that time police were pushing away rioters, and the two women left around 4:33 p.m.
The FBI became aware of their involvement in the riot when they got a tip from someone who received a text message from DiFrancesco, with photos of the riot inside the Capitol.
At least 31 people from Illinois have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot. Including Castle and DiFrancesco, 21 of those people have pleaded guilty, and 11 have been sentenced, most of them to probation. The longest jail sentence for an Illinois defendant so far has been 60 days.
