--- title: "Former NASA Intern Sentenced for Storming the US Capitol on Jan 6" description: "Brandon Cavanaugh, a 37-year-old former NASA intern and Boeing aerospace engineer, was sentenced for storming the capitol." date: "2023-04-28" modified: "2023-04-28" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/former-nasa-intern-sentenced" categories: - "Future Society" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "capitol" - "FBI" - "Law enforcement" - "the digest" --- # Former NASA Intern Sentenced for Storming the US Capitol on Jan 6 ![Brandon Cavanaugh, a 37-year-old former NASA intern and Boeing aerospace engineer, was sentenced for storming the capitol.]() *WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Protesters gather on the second day of pro-Trump events fueled by President Donald Trump's continued claims of election fraud in an to overturn the results before Congress finalizes them in a joint session of the 117th Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images/Kent Nishimura \* ## NASA-Boeing Pipeline Brandon Cavanaugh, a 37-year-old former NASA intern who worked in the agency's Jet Propulsion Lab, was sentenced yesterday for storming the capitol, *NBC's* Ryan J. Reilly [tweeted earlier today](). Per Reilly's tweet, the former NASA intern was sentenced to "14 days of intermittent confinement to be served on seven consecutive weekends" by Judge Trevor McFadden. Of course, it's never good news that anyone might have stormed the Capitol building. A former government employee whose most recent job was as an aerospace engineer for the [government-contracted Boeing](), though? Particularly unsettling. ## Brandon HB According [to the *LA Times*](), Cavanaugh, a Huntington Beach native, was first arrested for his role in the January 6 Capitol insurrection in August of last year. While analyzing the social media activity of a different rioter, the FBI came across the former NASA intern's Telegram handle, Brandon HB Groyper. "HB" stands for Huntington Beach; Groyper, [as defined by the Anti-Defamation League]() (ADL), refers to a "loose network of alt-right figures who are vocal supporters of white supremacist and 'America First' podcaster Nick Fuentes." Also, Groypers [apparently worship Pepe memes](), so they're basically the worst of the absolute worst. Also, re: white supremacy, Cavanaugh is supremely and violently racist, as demonstrated in court-documented Telegram messages. (We won't share them here, but if you do care to see just how awful this guy is, be warned that the texts are quite graphic.) Those Telegram messages were linked back to Cavanaugh's phone number, and then back to Capitol surveillance footage, in which Cavanaugh can be seen careening through the building. Unfortunately, it's on-brand employment for NASA, which has a notably bad history with employing — [and continuing to honor]() — actual Nazis. ## Type of Guy Cavanaugh's sentence isn't that harsh — McFadden has [certainly handed down worse]() — but it's something. Although for his part, the engineer reportedly seems to think that his weekend stays and added probation is "extreme." "The sentencing for me... probation... would be extreme," Cavanaugh told the court yesterday during his sentencing, [according to *CBS News* Congressional Correspondent Scott MacFarlane](). "I've already suffered so, so much. It's taken me a long, long time to recover from this. I've lost friends, opportunities." "I'm not the type of person who likes to do anything violent," he [reportedly added elsewhere](), seemingly forgetting his very violent Telegram messages. "I've gotta tell you... what I'm hearing from you is more anger for how you've been treated," McFadden responded, [according to MacFarlane](), "than remorse for what you did." **More on January 6:** [*Leaked Parler Data Contains Stunning Details about Capitol Attack*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()