Former Uniontown woman gets 2 years for Capitol riot

A former Uniontown woman will serve two years in federal prison for her role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Shelly Stallings, who now lives in Morganfield, Ky., was sentenced on Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

In addition to her prison term, Stallings must also serve three years of supervised release. She will be allowed to self report to begin serving her sentence.

Stallings, a forklift operator, pleaded guilty in August to seven counts including civil disorder, assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer using a dangerous weapon and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon.

According to the government, Stallings traveled to the Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C., with her now-estranged husband, Peter Schwartz, from their then-residence in Uniontown.

Schwartz and Stallings made their way from the rally to the Capitol with the rest of the crowd around 2 p.m.

According to court filings in the case, Stallings saw Schwartz throw a metal chair at a group of officers, who briefly retreated, leaving their cache of pepper spray unattended. Schwartz took the canisters and began spraying the officers.

Schwartz gave his wife a canister, as well, and she said she sprayed it for about four seconds before she claimed that she gave it back to him, saying, “‘I’m not doing this.’”

According to the defense, video shows Stallings was inside the tunnel for just under five minutes.

She can be seen pushing her way against the crowd to leave at 3:14 p.m.

In its sentencing brief, the government asked for 51 months in federal prison, as well as three years supervised release, alleging that Stallings initially lied to investigators about her role in what happened.

But the defense asked for less, claiming that Stallings only attended the rally because she was coerced by her husband, whom she claimed she feared. She did not intend to enter the Capitol, the defense said, and eventually cooperated with investigators, even offering to testify against Schwartz.

Schwartz was found guilty by a jury in December and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5.

The defense asked for a sentence of one day incarceration followed by three years supervised release with the first year on home detention.

“Ms. Stallings has owned up to her conduct, admitted it to others, and accepted full responsibility for it. She fully understands the wrongfulness of her conduct; is motivated and, indeed, eager to change; and will do whatever is necessary to make certain that she does not re-offend,” her attorney wrote.