WASHINGTON- Kevin Seefried of Laurel, who was known for carrying a confederate flag during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021, has been granted early release from prison, according to court documents. The United States District Court has ruled that Seefried should be released soon, but not immediately. They considered whether he was a risk to the community or likely to flee and concluded he was not.
His son, Hunter Seefried, was also released from prison early, March 19, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He also participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Considering the time Seefried has already spent in custody and the time his appeal process might take, the court believes that by the time his appeal is decided he will likely have served the necessary time for his misdemeanors, said court documents. Therefore, the court orders that Seefried be released about one year after he started serving his sentence.
Previously, Seefried was found guilty of one felony and four misdemeanors related to his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Seefried is shown in footage of the riot carrying a Confederate flag. During the riot he was joined by his son, Hunter Seefried, also from Laurel. Hunter was sentenced in October to two years in prison with one year of supervised release and to pay $2,000 restitution. Seefried had appealed his conviction and sentence according to court documents.
Seefried's felony obstruction charge is now central to the appeal Seefried filed. A lawsuit involving another Jan. 6 rioter questioning the legality of the obstruction charge has reached the United State’s highest court in Fischer v. United States. If the Supreme Court decides in favor of Fischer, it might impact Seefried's felony conviction.
Both parties are ordered to report back to the court after the Supreme Court's decision in the related Fischer case, according to the court documents.