George Zinn, 71, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, following his false claim that he shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a college event in Utah last September.
Zinn was sentenced in Utah County District Court after admitting to the three felony charges. The obstruction of justice count stemmed from the chaos immediately after Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated on September 10. As law enforcement responded, Zinn began yelling “I shot him, now shoot me” and refused to disclose the location of the supposed murder weapon, prompting officers to detain and search him. During the search, authorities discovered child sexual abuse material on his phone, leading to the additional charges.
Zinn will serve the sentences concurrently, with the longest term tied to the sexual exploitation counts (one to 15 years). A parole board will determine his actual time served.
