Man Gets Nearly 3 Years For Crash Near White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Ohio man has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison for crashing his unoccupied Jeep near a White House Secret Service guard booth.

A judge on Friday sentenced Joseph Reel of Kettering, Ohio, to 35 months in prison. Reel pleaded guilty to in connection with the crash in October, and as part of the deal he agreed 35 months was an appropriate sentence. He will also pay $5,345 for the damage he caused.

Reel acknowledged he rigged his Jeep to crash near the guard post early on June 9. He was arrested shortly after and told officials he also intended to spray paint a “don’t tread on me snake” on the White House residence. He believed that would lead others to “stand up against government.”

Source: Associated Press