23-year-old political prisoner Matthew Beddingfield was arrested in February of 2022 a year after the January 6 protest at the Capitol. He is now six months into his 38-month sentence.
Matthew wrote the following to The Gateway Pundit to share his story, his hopes for the future and his concerns about what is happening in our nation.
Hello, My name is Matthew Beddingfield. I am a 23-year-old J6 prisoner from the Raleigh area in North Carolina. In January of 2021 I traveled with my Dad to DC to listen to Trump speak and use my First Amendment right to protest the stolen election. At the time, I had no idea how drastically the events that unfolded would affect my life.
In February of 2022, I was ultimately arrested for my participation in the mostly peaceful protest. I sat in Northern Neck Regional Jail for a little over a month, but after 3 bond hearings, I was let out on pretrial release. While I am thankful that I was not forced to sit in jail awaiting trial, the restrictions that were placed on my freedoms were unheard of for such a case, at least that’s what my lawyer and pretrial release officer both felt.
**Please help Matthew here.**
Aside from being placed on an ankle monitor, I was not allowed to access the internet, I was not allowed to have contact with my Dad, not allowed a bedroom door, and for the first 6 weeks, I was not even allowed to leave the house. After those 6 weeks were up, they finally allowed me to go back to work, but it wasn’t long after that when the prosecutor tried to revoke my bond for going to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings with my Mom. My bond was not revoked, thankfully, but it showed me how closely they were going to scrutinize every move I made.
I was out for a year when I was offered a plea deal with a guideline range of 36-47 months. This was a no-brainer decision, considering the first plea offer they gave me was between 4-5 years, and the alternative of going to trial and risking getting more time was out of the question. So in February 2023, I pled guilty to assault on a police officer. Then in July of the same year, I was sentenced to 38 months in prison.
So now I sit 6 months into my prison sentence. I’m thankful that I wasn’t placed far from home so I can receive visits from my family once a month. This whole situation has been the hardest on my Mom because she loves me more than anyone does. Right after her is my Dad, who feels like it’s all his fault for taking me, but I assure him that I don’t blame him because it wasn’t his fault that I went in; it was my own decision-making.
**Please help Matthew here.**
This whole situation has made me feel closer to my family than ever before because I realize how lucky I am to have them and that no one will ever support me like they have. I try to look at everything from a positive perspective, considering others are going through a harder time than I am. I’m glad that I do not have a wife and kids left behind at home because I can’t imagine how much harder it would make this situation.
I like to look at this point in my life as a test from God to help shape me into the man He wants me to be, one who is more resilient, humble, patient, and grateful for everything He has done for me. I look forward to getting out and moving forward with my life. When I get out, I hope to be able to start a business, build a family, and become a leader in my community.
I also hope to one day run for office as a representative so I can make my way into the Capitol by legitimate means considering our federal government lacks patriots. I am looking forward to the upcoming election in November with Trump, I pray he wins and holds up on his promise to release the J6 prisoners as well as fix the border crisis.
I denounce the narrative pushed by the media of an insurrection. I believe without the provocation by federal agents, the events that transpired would never have happened. January 6th was a setup by the feds to create the vision in the minds of the public that we are the “greatest threat to democracy.”
America is headed down a dark road of destruction, and I pray for the future of our nation. I believe We the People are locked in a battle between good and evil; with the truth and God on our side, we will win.
Thanks to everyone who shows their support to the J6 community.
Stay strong, patriots; the fight has only begun.
This story originally appeared on TheGateWayPundit
