CULT-LIKE

Jan. 6 Rioter Who Now Loathes Trump Is Released From ‘Toxic’ Jail

Thomas Sibick had requested solitary confinement to get away from the other imprisoned rioters, whom his lawyer said had become “almost cult-like.”

A Capitol riot defendant has been released from pre-trial jail after a judge expressed worries about the jail’s “toxic environment.” Thomas Sibick, 35, will be turned over to the custody of his parents, who were ordered by Judge Amy Berman Jackson to limit their son’s access to cable news and social media. In her ruling, Jackson noted that Sibick “has gone through extraordinary lengths to separate himself” from the other inmates in the jail unit, who are largely Jan. 6 rioters. Sibick said he requested solitary confinement to get away from the other imprisoned defendants, whom his lawyer said had become “almost cult-like.”

Sibick’s attorney also noted that his client’s “mental thought process has changed a lot.” In a letter addressed to Jackson, Sibick called Jan. 6 “a disgrace to our nation that left a scar Trump is ultimately responsible for.” He said he now loathes Trump, adding, “I disagree with what occurred that fateful day.” Prosecutors allege Sibick “eagerly and tenaciously” breached the Capitol, posing for photos with an officer’s riot shield and taking a cop’s badge home with him before burying it in his backyard.