"It was totally surreal" - The Harrowing Story of J6er Isaac Sturgeon Told by his Mother Mary

In March of 2021, the FBI asked the Kenyan Government to arrest the American citizen Isaac Sturgeon, who was on a hunting trip in Africa. Five armed members of Kenya's Joint Terrorism Task Force showed up at his motel, arrested him, drove him handcuffed to Nairobi and put him on a plane to New York City. Upon his arrival, FBI agents were waiting for him.

Mary Sturgeon joins us today to tell her son's story - from his life in Montana to his arrest and sentencing and his current life in prison.

What was Isaac's crime? Was there any crime at all? Or was he imprisoned for political reasons? He attended the 'Stop the Steal' demonstration in Washington DC on January 6. He listened to President Trump's speech at the ellipse and then walked over to Capitol Hill together with hundreds of thousands of other people. Isaac never entered the Capitol building but stopped at the first barricade he encountered. He didn't shout, incite other people or attack the police.

Nonetheless, he was charged with felonies and misdemeanors, seven in total. He was offered a plea deal that he rejected. The prosecution asked for eleven years, the judge gave him six years in prison with three years of supervised release afterwards. During the bench trial, the elderly judge regularly fell asleep and exculpatory evidence was not admitted by the prosecution.

Isaac has been in prison for one year now, since January 2024.

Mary Sturgeon: "Isaac said to us when he decided he was not taking the plea deal. He said, I can't with integrity say that I am guilty. ... He said, I would be lying about that. I cannot do it. Can't lie. Isaac is my hero because that takes great courage... There definitely needs to be an outcry about the system and the DOJ and even the conditions of the prisons. The government made a huge mistake by incarcerating middle class, hardworking Americans with no criminal records."

Mary set up a GiveSendGo campaign to help cover his legal fees and other expenses while Isaac is in prison and can't earn money: https://www.givesendgo.com/GB6TM.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:35 Isaac's Arrest in Kenya
05:29 Journey Back to the U.S.
09:03 Initial Legal Proceedings
17:02 Insane Bail Amount
22:58 Life in Dillon, Montana
27:36 A Traveler's Perspective
35:11 The Police Presence and Barriers at the Capitol
39:47 The Push and Fall down the Steps
45:56 Aftermath of the Fall
54:46 The Decision to Stay at the Capitol
59:54 The Casualties of the Day
01:04:36 Police Response and Accountability
01:12:40 The Arrest and Its Aftermath
01:18:53 Community Reaction and Support
01:26:00 The Charges and Plea Deal
01:30:48 Isaac's Decision Against the Plea Deal
01:39:30 Trial Dynamics and the Judge's Conduct
01:49:09 Impact of Sentencing on Families
01:58:54 Life in Prison: Conditions and Challenges
02:04:33 Gratitude and Personal Growth in Adversity
02:09:59 Unanswered Questions Surrounding January 6th

#j6 #january62021 #justice #podcast #news #interview #politics # #pleadeals