U.S. man pardoned by Trump for Jan. 6 riot remains in custody in B.C.

An American man found guilty of rioting at the U.S. Capitol four years ago remains in immigration custody in Surrey, B.C., after being arrested in Whistler two weeks ago.

Anthony Vo, 32, allegedly failed to report to jail in the U.S. to start his sentence last June and sought refugee protection in Canada, eventually gaining asylum on Dec. 4.

However, Vo, along with more than 1,500 others, was given a presidential pardon by President Donald Trump for participating in the insurrection.

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Vo’s lawyer, who confirmed his client is still in custody, said his client plans to drop his asylum claim in Canada and expects to return to the U.S., possibly as early as this week.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Vo was convicted last June of disorderly conduct and other offences for his role in the attack on the Capitol, but that he left for Canada instead of reporting to prison.

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–with files from The Canadian Press