KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Springfield woman who pleaded guilty to participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. was denied early termination and release pending appeal after violating her probation.
Mahailya Pryer was also ordered to serve 156 days in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, with credit for a combined 126 days between time served in prison and time spent on probation, per court documents. Thus, Pryer will spend 30 additional days in prison.
Pryer pleaded guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building in May 2022.
She was to serve 45 days in prison and three years of probation in addition to paying $500 in restitution.
A warrant for her arrest was issued in November 2022 after she had failed to self-surrender. By late December, she had completed her incarceration term and began probation.
In April 2023, the probation office notified the court Pryer had allegedly violated “a number of her probation conditions,” per court documents.
Pryer allegedly was not truthful with her probation officer, had not paid restitution and operated a vehicle without a valid license as well as financial responsibility or insurance, in addition to other violations.
She was then arrested and detained May 1, 2023. On May 24, she was ordered to “home incarceration at an inpatient facility,” according to court documents.
However, the facility did not have any beds available until June 5. Pryer was detained for 36 days before serving 30 days at the inpatient facility.
After the inpatient facility, she was permitted to serve home detention.
But by Aug. 15, Pryer had allegedly violated the agreement by using methamphetamine and fentanyl and refusing to submit to substance abuse testing, along with other violations, per court documents.
Pryer moved in November for early termination of probation, but further allegations of violations — such as failing to notify her probation officer of a change of address — were noted in December.
In January, Magistrate Judge Faruqui determined Pryer had completed her term of imprisonment, so double jeopardy principles precluded her sentencing.
As such, he recommended the court void her probation sentence, deny the motion for sentencing, dismiss her motion for early termination and close the case, per court documents.
But on Feb. 2, Faruqui’s recommendation was declined.
In a status conference Feb. 15, Pryer did not contest the probation violations.
And after a March 11 revocation hearing, Pryer’s motion for early termination was denied and her 156-day sentence (including credit for previous time served) was imposed.
In a written opinion, the court explained that even thought the “interest of justice supports terminating Ms. Pryer’s probation … that factor alone cannot justify early termination,” under certain statutes.
The court also denied her request for release pending appeal, explaining she did not meet the requirements.
Pryer is permitted to self-surrender after June 1, 2024.
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