Capitol rioter asks court for lenient sentence, arguing that he already suffered by losing work, access to Airbnb, and his TSA precheck status

  • A Capitol riot defendant arguing to leniency described his life being turned "upside-down."

  • Justin McAuliffe's filing noted that he lost work and access to common services.

  • It said McAuliffe knew he did wrong and was seeking "personal redemption and growth."

A Capitol riot defendant claims he was barred from Airbnb and Lyft, and lost his TSA precheck pass after his arrest, according to a legal filing.

Justin McAuliffe pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of parading, picketing, or demonstrating inside Capitol grounds in November last year.

He is due to be sentenced on Friday, and in a formal request to the court for leniency his lawyers described how the plea has already disrupted his life as an accountant living on Bellmore, Long Island.

McAuliffe lost clients and investment partnerships, the request said. He was, per the document, also banned from working as a Lyft driver and using Airbnb, and also lost his TSA-precheck pass, the filing said.

McAuliffe was driving for Lyft and Uber when his accounting work was slow, the filing said.

Lyft, Airbnb, and the TSA did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

On their website, the TSA says US citizens can be removed or suspended from their precheck program if they "commit certain violations of federal security regulations."

It is unclear whether McAuffile was a host or a guest on Airbnb. The company's website states that it conducts criminal background checks on both.

"He blames nobody but himself"

In the filing, McAuffile says he was "harassed" on social media following his arrest and did not feel welcome in his neighborhood.

"More than anything else, he deeply regrets bringing all this upon his wife and family ... It is all his fault. He blames nobody but himself," the filing said.

The document also states that McAuliffe has been moving toward "personal redemption and growth" since the insurrection.

McAuliffe's wife filed for divorce a day after his arrest, but the couple is now working on their marriage again, the filing said.

McAuliffe faces up to six months of imprisonment, a fine of not more than $5,000, and a term of probation.

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