Aaron Mostofsky, pelt-wearing son of a Jewish judge, pleads guilty to Jan. 6 charges
Mostofsky, who wore fur pelts and a police bulletproof vest when he entered the US Capitol, faces up to 18 months in jail

WASHINGTON — Aaron Mostofsky, the Jewish judge’s son who wore fur pelts and a bulletproof vest when he entered the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pleaded guilty in a federal court Wednesday to civil disorder, theft of government property and entering and remaining in a restricted building.
Mostofsky, who referred to himself as a “caveman” eager to protest Donald Trump’s presidential election loss, was seen inside the Capitol wearing a fur costume and a police bulletproof vest that he was accused of stealing during the mayhem. He gave a video interview inside the building, telling the New York Post he was there “to express my opinion as a free American that this election was stolen.”
Mostofsky, 35, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6. He faces 12 to 18 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, US District Judge James Boasberg said. Mostofsky also agreed to pay $2,000 restitution.
Mostofsky is the son of Steven (Shlomo) Mostofsky, a Kings County (Brooklyn) Supreme Court Judge and former president of the National Council of Young Israel, an Orthodox synagogue association. NCYI has been outspokenly pro-Trump in the past.
Mostofsky’s brother, Nachman, who serves as executive director of Chovevei Zion, a politically conservative Orthodox Jewish advocacy organization, also attended the protests but he has said he left before the mob entered the Capitol.
Aaron Mostofsky’s unusual garb made him stand out from the crowd of camouflage-wearing, flag-waving rioters. At one point, he was photographed sitting on a bench near the Senate chamber holding a stick and the riot shield, which he said he picked up off the floor.
According to prosecutors, Mostofsky took a bus from New York to Washington and joined protesters in overwhelming a police line and storming the Capitol. Along the way, he picked up and put on the bulletproof vest, valued at $1,905, and the riot shield, worth $265, prosecutors said.
Before the protest, Mostofsky messaged another demonstrator that he could be found at the protest by looking for “a caveman,” adding, “Even a caveman knows it was stolen,” prosecutors said. Afterward, as his photo circulated, he said the image was unfortunate because “now people actually know me.”
Times of Israel staff contributed to this story.