A man who took part in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has landed himself in deeper trouble after fleeing to Canada to avoid serving his prison sentence. Federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday that the man, Antony Vo, could now face even more time behind bars.
Vo, a 32-year-old from Indiana, had been sentenced to nine months in prison for his role in the Capitol riot. But instead of turning himself in at a federal facility in Kentucky last June, he made a run for it, crossing the border into Canada. Authorities finally caught up with him on January 6, 2025—the anniversary of the riot—in Whistler, British Columbia, where he had been snowboarding.
Here’s what happened: Vo reportedly crossed into Canada illegally, traveling through North Dakota or Montana. Once there, he applied for asylum, claiming he was a victim of political persecution by President Joe Biden’s administration and the judge who sentenced him. Vo said he funded his escape by dipping into his savings and selling a car before leaving the U.S.
The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office have now charged him with “failure to surrender for sentence,” a charge that could add another year to his prison time. This comes on top of his previous convictions for entering a restricted building and parading inside the Capitol during the riot.
Vo’s confidence in avoiding punishment seemed to rest on one hope: former President Donald Trump. Vo told a Canadian newspaper he was “99 percent sure” Trump would pardon him if re-elected. Trump has hinted at the possibility of pardoning some January 6 participants but hasn’t committed to a blanket amnesty.
In Canada, Vo’s bid for asylum didn’t sit well with officials. Rebecca Purdy, a spokesperson for Canada’s border agency, stated that their job is to remove anyone who enters the country illegally and doesn’t meet the criteria for staying. Legal experts also pointed out that Vo’s case doesn’t align with claims of political persecution, given that his conviction came from an independent judiciary.
Now back in U.S. custody, Vo’s escape attempt has only added to the list of consequences stemming from his actions during one of the most infamous events in recent American history.
