Insisting that he disregarded his oath as a “public servant of the City of Chicago,” prosecutors have asked for a year in prison for the Chicago police officer convicted last summer for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Karol Chwiesiuk and his sister, Agnieszka Chwiesiuk, ignored damage and violence outside the Capitol before pressing on into the building that day, according to the feds. Not only that, but prosecutors alleged that Karol Chwiesiuk lied on the stand during their trial.
“Nearly every aspect of Karol Chwiesiuk’s testimony was self-serving and a misrepresentation of the facts to the jury,” prosecutors wrote. “During his time on the stand, Karol Chwiesiuk testified that he did not have any idea what was happening at the Capitol that day, despite receiving emails talking about rallies supporting the former president, as well as information about a protest outside of the Capitol building.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Sean Murphy also sought an eight-month prison term for Agnieszka Chwiesiuk. The siblings spent roughly 10 minutes inside the Capitol, records show. Karol Chwiesiuk was also accused of entering the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. The Chwiesiuks were convicted of misdemeanors in August and are set to be sentenced Jan. 24 by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes.
Their Chicago-based attorney, Nishay Sanan, is expected to file his own sentencing request. But Monday, he described the feds’ memo as “nothing more than boilerplate mishmosh” that “does not accurately portray who [the Chwiesiuks] are or what … specifically happened in their case.”
Karol Chwiesiuk has previously been listed as inactive and on an unpaid leave of absence from the Chicago Police Department. In their memo to the judge, prosecutors said he “lost his job” after he participated in the Capitol attack. He had been on medical leave due to issues with his back at the time of the riot, according to the feds.
They also wrote that he previously worked as a correctional officer at the Cook County jail.
The Chwiesiuks are among more than 40 Illinois residents who have faced federal criminal charges in connection with the Capitol riot.
Prosecutors say Karol Chwiesiuk texted his sister the day of the 2020 presidential election and wrote “Very confident maga 2020 my sister.” Two months later, he texted his cousin that he was going to Washington, D.C., “To save the nation” and added, “I’m f--- up some commies.”
The Chwiesiuk siblings, who live with their parents, rented a car and drove from the family home in Chicago to Washington, D.C., according to the feds. Agnieszka Chwiesiuk also sent her brother screenshots. One asked, “How many other patriots are headed to DC to build FORT TRUMP?” The other listed times and locations of planned events.
The night before the riot, Karol Chwiesiuk took several photographs of himself around the Capitol’s restricted perimeter, prosecutors noted.
“These details are important because they show that the Chwiesiuks knew how to plan, knew how to look up information, and knew where the planned events were taking place,” prosecutors wrote. “More specifically, they knew that nothing and no one authorized them to enter the Capitol.”
The next day, the Chwiesiuks witnessed “numerous instances and acts of chaos, violence, and destruction” before entering the Capitol at 2:57 p.m. through the Senate Wing Door, prosecutors wrote. They climbed out of a broken window to the south of that door at 3:08 p.m.
Afterward, Karol Chwiesiuk allegedly texted that “It was epic. Super fun. The optics are bad but f--- it at this point ya know.”
And on Jan. 13, 2021, Karol Chwiesiuk also allegedly wrote in a text message to his cousin, “I maintain that Donald J. Trump is the legitimate president of the United States. Enjoy communism for 4 years.”
