Champaign County woman sentenced to over 8 years in prison for part in Jan. 6 insurrection

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Champaign County woman convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the United States Capitol now knows how long she’ll be in prison.

Jessica Watkins, of Woodstock, was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison Friday. She was convicted in December of obstruction and conspiracy to impede Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s victory, the Associated Press reported.

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Watkins was previously acquitted of seditious conspiracy.

Watkins tearfully apologized for her actions prior to the judge announcing her sentence and described herself as “another idiot running around the Capitol,” according to the Associated Press.

As News Center 7 previously reported, Watkins was marching with other members of the Oath Keepers and other affiliates in a “stacked formation up the east steps of the Capitol, joined a mob, and made their way to the Capitol.”

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In the indictment, prosecutors said once Watkins and the group she was with entered the Rotunda, they split. Half of the group went to the Senate Chamber to disrupt the certification of the Electoral College vote and the other half went toward the House of Representatives in search of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

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