A Hart County man and his cousin, both with criminal histories, have been sentenced for their roles in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Robert L. Bauer, 44, of Cave City, was sentenced to 45 days in jail, 65 hours of community service and $500 restitution. Prosecutors and Bauer struck a plea deal in June where he agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, according to media reports.
The judge could have sentenced him to a maximum of six months in prison, a fine of no more than $5,000 and supervised release of no more than one year.
Bauer and his cousin, Edward Hemenway, of Winchester, Virginia, attended the rally that devolved into storming the Capitol building. According to reports, Bauer spent 17 minutes inside the Capitol building where he took photos and was photographed standing on top of a military-style vehicle while sticking both of his middle fingers up.
Court records, media outlets report, indicated there’s no evidence that Bauer or Hemenway did anything violent or destructive while inside the Capitol.
“I’m sorry to the families of the people that work in the Capitol, that had to go through that,” Bauer said at his sentencing. “I honestly wish it wouldn’t have happened altogether. I’m really sorry I added to it.”
In addition to the parading, demonstrating or picketing on Capitol grounds charge, Bauer and Hemenway were also originally charged with knowingly entering a restricted building or grounds. That charge, though, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, was dropped as part of the mens’ plea deals.
Hemenway was also sentenced to 45 days in jail, 65 hours of community service and $500 restitution.
Bauer has multiple drug convictions dating back to 1999 (although media reports indicate “he has been sober for the last 15 years”), and Hemenway spent five years in prison for sexually assaulting and illegally detaining a woman in 2006.
A total of 17 rioters, out of 630 arrests, have been sentenced to this point for their roles in the Capitol riots.
(Photo l-r: Edward Hemenway, Robert Bauer)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
