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A member of a Virginia school board who bragged about drinking beer inside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot will spend 12 days behind bars for storming the halls of Congress.
Miles Adkins, 39, has pleaded guilty to two federal misdemeanors in connection with the riot and has been sentenced to 12 days in prison — only to be served on weekends — plus two years of probation and fines and restitution.
Despite his guilty plea, Adkins told NBC News4 that he refuses to capitulate to the demands of community members who want him to step down from his position on the Frederick County Public Schools board.
“You're gonna need a bigger wrecking ball to get me out of there,” he told a reporter.
During the trial, Adkins’ defense attorney argued that his client was simply duped by the messaging of conservative media and former President Donald Trump, thus absolving him of responsibility for storming the Capitol to disrupt the peaceful transition of power.
Not only was Adkins one of the first people to illegally enter the Capitol, but he also drank beer and whiskey inside and helped others break into the federal building, investigators said. At one point he shouted: “Let’s go get a beer, let’s go get a beer.”
“I drank fireball and coors lite in the capitol,” Adkins later bragged in a social media post, according to an affidavit.
The judge noted during the sentencing that it wasn’t Adkins’ first time on the wrong side of the law; he also had previous charges for DUI and a hit-and-run.
Bryan Nuri, a community activist who also spoke to NBC News4, questioned what kind of message it sends to children in Adkins’ district when he’s allowed to remain in a prominent position despite his criminal history.
He and other parents have called for him to step down.
“We’re asking him to resign because he is really damaging the integrity of our basic functions as community members and as an elected official,” Nuri said.
Under Virginia law, a school board member can be removed if they have been convicted of a felony.
While some members of the community pushed for his resignation, most of the school board has kept quiet about their colleague and have provided no indication they plan to hold him accountable for his actions, The Winchester Star reports.
"We are aware of the court’s decision to sentence Mr Adkins," a joint statement from the school board, released after his sentencing, said. "However, our focus will stay where it needs to: on the children in our county. We will continue to make decisions that serve in the best interests of our students while working to ensure that the educational environment in our schools is not disrupted by these events."
Even if the board members wanted to remove Adkins, they do not have that authority; only members of the Shawnee community, which Adkins represents, can vote to remove him.
