A construction worker from Hudson who entered the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6 has been sentenced to 11 months in prison.
Kirstyn Niemela was arrested in 2022 and found guilty by a federal jury earlier this year for her role in the breach. Authorities say she spent approximately 20 minutes inside the capitol building, and can be seen in multiple surveillance videos.
In the days leading up to the Stop the Steal rally, which was organized to galvanize support for former President Donald Trump’s false claims about election fraud, she posted statements encouraging violence against lawmakers, including “the s--- coming out finally is insane. Let’s hang em high,” according to court documents.
Niemela is one of at least three New Hampshire residents arrested for their role in the riot.
Images included in court documents show Niemela and another woman wearing matching sweatshirts that read “We the People are Pissed Off” on the day of the Capitol breach. In a sentencing memorandum requesting the 11 month jail term, the government noted that Niemela “never expressed remorse for her conduct on January 6 and claims she is a victim of this prosecution.”
Roger Roots, Niemela’s attorney, said Friday that the judge handed down a “truly outrageous sentence” for what is essentially a “disorderly conduct case.”
According to the affidavit, Niemela posted about her movements on Jan. 6 on Facebook. The Federal Bureau of Investigations was then able to identify her after receiving tips from multiple sources, including a relative.
