Woman pardoned for role in Jan. 6 riot sentenced over deadly drunk driving crash
A Missouri woman who was charged with participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and was recently pardoned by President Donald Trump was sentenced to 10 years in prison for causing a fatal drunk driving crash in 2022.
Emily Hernandez, of Sullivan, Missouri, was arrested in January 2022 after the crash on Interstate 44 in Franklin County, according to previous reporting from Paste BN. Victoria Wilson, 32 at the time, from St. Clair, Missouri, was killed in the crash, and her husband, Ryan Wilson, 36 at the time, was seriously injured, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said at the time.
A GoFundMe set up by Victoria Wilson's sister at the time said she had a 10 and 15-year old son.
Hernandez pleaded guilty in November 2024 in connection to the crash and was charged with DWI causing death of another and DWI causing serious physical injury to another, according to reporting from KSDK, an NBC affiliate in St. Louis.
According to KDSK, Hernandez called her own actions "ungodly" in court Wednesday morning and says she prays for the victim's family daily.
Hernandez also charged after attending Jan. 6 Capitol riot
According to previous reporting from Paste BN, after attending the riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021, Hernandez was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct which impedes the conduct of government business; stealing, selling, conveying or disposing of U.S. property; disruptive conduct in the capitol buildings; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the capitol buildings.
Prosecutors later charged her with one misdemeanor count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.
Pictures and videos show a smiling Hernandez holding up a piece of a sign from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the insurrection.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at Paste BN. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.