(LifeSiteNews) — Former President Donald J. Trump said Friday that a Colorado woman known as “J6 Praying Grandma” who was convicted on federal misdemeanor charges this week is a “patriot” and urged his supporters to donate money to help cover the substantial legal fees she continues to accrue.

Rebecca Lavrenz was found guilty in federal district court in Washington, D.C. on all 4 counts lodged against her:  Entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol.

The former president said that Lavrenz, a great-grandmother in her seventies who operates a bed-and-breakfast near Colorado Springs, had been “unfairly targeted by crooked joe biden’s DOJ.”

“Rebecca Lavrenz, also known as the ‘J6 Praying Grandma,’ has been unfairly targeted by Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, and now faces up to 1 YEAR in prison for peacefully walking around the Capitol, and praying for our Failing Nation on January 6th!” wrote Trump at his Truth Social account.

“Rebecca is a 72-year-old Grandmother and Small Business Owner from Colorado, and now she is one of Joe Biden’s J6 HOSTAGES!!!” continued Trump. “Crooked Joe Biden spends more time prosecuting Patriots like Rebecca, AND ME, than Violent Criminals, Thugs, Murderers, and ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS who are destroying our Country. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST. MAGA2024!”

In addition to time in prison, Lavrez faces fines of more than $200,000 in addition to her attorney fees.

A tearful Lavrenz reacted to the jury’s decision, as she drove away from the court:

In tears as I drive by the Capitol for the first time since January 2021.

My own country is treating me like a criminal. I’m here because I love my country. America is worth saving and I won’t give up.

In tears as I drive by the Capitol for the first time since January 2021.

My own country is treating me like a criminal. I’m here because I love my country. America is worth saving and I won’t give up.#j6trial #j6prayingrandma pic.twitter.com/hpW2MVOVJd

— Rebecca Lavrenz (@j6prayingrandma) March 20, 2024

The Colorado great grandmother later said she was “surprised” at the verdict, but that “I believe God wanted it to turn out this way so my voice could be amplified. We have to wake up our country.”

“The whole reason I went to the Capitol was to pray,” she told The Colorado Springs Gazette. “I didn’t get into this for myself, I was there to stand up for my country. God led me to go there and into the building to stand up for my First Amendment rights to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Lavrenz said she has chosen to “laugh about” the considerable criticism she has been forced to endure as a J6 defendant.

“I realized if you’re right where God wants you, people are either going to love you or hate you,” Lavrenz told the Gazette. “These things can get on your heart if you don’t watch it, the stuff on social media is so bad and people talk so trashy. I think it’s just how they are.”

“The average person doesn’t realize they can make a difference.  We’re never going to change our country until we change the average person,” continued Lavrenz. “I’m going to make my voice so loud that if they try to put me in prison to shut it up, it won’t work,”

Lavrenz explained on her website:

I am a God loving, praying mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother who loves my country, family, and the things that are on God’s heart. I count my life as no longer mine, but God’s, which has led me to the situation I now find myself in.

Driven by a lifelong passion for truth, driving twenty-five hours to our US Capitol in January of 2021, to stand with 100s of 1000s of fellow patriots who also agreed that something just wasn’t right in the 2020 Presidential Election was not a tough decision.

I went to Washington, D.C. believing God had chosen me for this assignment to pray and put action to my faith, not knowing He would also lead me to carry His presence into the Capitol building itself on January 6 to reconfirm the covenant which was set forth in the year 1620 by our pilgrim forefathers, that this country was established “…for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.”

Others offered support to Lavrenz after she shared the D.C. jury’s verdict on X.

“I am a J6er and know what you’re going through,” responded John M. Cameron. “The mental anguish, family, friends and community ostracization. Grieving for your country. Denial, anger, bargaining, acceptance.”

“Have faith, love God,” he urged Lavrenz. “You are being tempered by fire and your story can help others.”

“Please stay strong, you have so much support,” wrote a woman who calls herself J6 Mom Angie.  “My son has been in for 828 days today.”

“Rebecca Lavrenz, grandma and Christian conservative, found guilty for prayers and love of country on J6!” noted Mike Engelmann. “It’s another example of the abuses of power being committed by an illegitimate regime that says they’re ‘saving democracy’ while destroying it!”