Regulation enforcement officers are looking for a convicted U.S. Capitol rioter who didn’t report back to jail earlier this summer season to start serving his nine-month sentence and has not surfaced for weeks.
A number of sources instructed CBS Information there may be an energetic effort to seek out Antony Vo of Indiana, who was sentenced in April and anticipated to report back to the federal correctional facility in Terre Haute, Indiana, by early summer season.
Authorities exhibit
One legislation enforcement supply stated investigators are exploring the chance that Vo is in Canada.
Vo had already drawn further scrutiny and reprimands from the choose and prosecutors throughout his prison case, after allegedly violating pretrial launch situations, referring to the court docket system as a “kangaroo court docket,” criticizing the choose and posting conspiracy theories about Jan. 6, 2021, on his social media account.
A federal jury convicted Vo of 4 prison counts in September 2023, together with disorderly conduct. Prosecutors argued Vo was amid the mob contained in the Capitol for about 27 minutes, snapping photographs and yelling “Freedom!” whereas shifting by way of the Capitol complicated.
At a court docket listening to in April, prosecutors argued Vo had already demonstrated a sample of defiance in opposition to the court docket system. Vo was accused of violating his pretrial launch situations by attending a protest exterior of the Washington, D.C., jail in assist of Jan. 6 rioters. The choose positioned a curfew on Vo throughout his case, as a result of violations of court docket orders, in accordance with the Justice Division’s filings. Vo additionally blistered the choose and the court docket with criticism on his social media account, referring to his prison proceedings as a “kangaroo court docket.”
In a court docket submitting in April, prosecutors stated, “Vo’s full lack of regret for his actions on January 6 must also animate the Court docket’s determination concerning his sentence. Inside minutes of leaving the Capitol constructing on January 6, Vo used textual content messages and social media to brag about intimidating law enforcement officials, halting the vote rely, and storming the constructing. His lack of contrition continued after his trial when he repeatedly used social media to dispute his guilt, the place he referred to as himself a ‘J6 wrongful convict.'”
At Vo’s sentencing listening to in April, Decide Tanya Chutkan criticized Vo for his demeanor and conduct throughout his trial. Chutkan stated she was involved to see Vo smiling on the protection desk as a police officer testified “powerfully” in regards to the influence of the riot. When she handed down the nine-month jail sentence in opposition to Vo, Chutkan stated, “I do not imagine Mr. Vo thinks the legislation applies to him.”
Two weeks after his sentencing, Vo posted complaints on social media in regards to the court docket’s dealing with of his prison case, alleging he had been “railroaded” by the judicial system.
Vo, like most Jan. 6 defendants, was permitted to stay free from custody between his sentencing listening to and the beginning of his jail time period, a time frame which usually spans a number of weeks.
Vo’s protection lawyer declined requests for remark. The Justice Division additionally declined to remark. The FBI workplace in Indianapolis referred CBS Information to the U.S. Legal professional for the District of Columbia, who declined to remark.
Vo was 31 years previous when he was convicted final 12 months. His mom can be charged with being a part of the Capitol breach. She has a court docket look scheduled subsequent month.
A number of different Jan. 6 defendants have been fugitives within the 43 months for the reason that U.S. Capitol riot prosecutions. Three from Lakeland, Florida, had been lacking for months, earlier than their seize in Florida earlier this 12 months.
An alleged Florida member of the Proud Boys, Christopher Worrell, was a fugitive after failing to seem for his sentencing listening to. He was captured weeks later when he tried covertly to return dwelling.
Robert Legare
contributed to this report.
