Three Years After Capitol Siege Investigations, Prosecutions Mount

By Stacy M. Brown
Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
NNPA Newswire

The United States Attorney’s Office is marking the third anniversary of the unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol which shook the nation and much of the world.  Supporters of the twice-impeached and now four-times indicted former President Donald Trump stormed the building on January 6, 2021 and disrupted a joint session of Congress where members were attempting to affirm the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“In the wake of this historic event, the U.S. government has been tirelessly working to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the breach,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a release.

In October 2022, officials pegged the approximate losses resulting from the Capitol siege at a staggering $2.8 million. The sum accounts for damages to the Capitol building and grounds, both inside and outside, along with costs incurred by the U.S. Capitol Police.

“Under the continued leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the investigation has progressed at an unprecedented speed and scale,” officials declared, adding that the Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to holding those who committed crimes on January 6, 2021, accountable.

In an overview released on Friday, January 5, the Justice Department noted that more than 1,265 defendants from almost all 50 states and the District of Columbia have faced criminal charges.

Four hundred fifty-two defendants were charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, including 123 individuals charged with using deadly or dangerous weapons.

One hundred forty police officers were assaulted on January 6, with approximately 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Eleven individuals were arrested for charges related to assaulting members of the media or destroying their equipment.

Of those charged, 1,186 were indicted for entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds, 116 for entering a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon, 71 for destruction of government property, and 56 for theft of government property. Additionally, prosecutors charged 332 individuals with obstructing an official proceeding and 57 for conspiracy counts related to obstructing a congressional proceeding, obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder, or injuring an officer.

Approximately 718 individuals pleaded guilty to federal charges, with 213 pleading guilty to felonies and 505 to misdemeanors. Eighty-nine individuals who pleaded guilty to felonies faced federal charges of assaulting law enforcement officers, and four individuals pleaded guilty to the federal charge of seditious conspiracy.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office tried 139 individuals who were found guilty, including three in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Further, 32 individuals were convicted following an agreed-upon set of facts, and 76 were found guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers and obstructing officers during a civil disorder.

Finally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that approximately 749 federal defendants have received sentences, with 467 sentenced to periods of incarceration and 154 received home detention. This figure includes 28 who also received time behind bars.

Trump, who has also been found civilly liable for sexually assaulting the writer, E. Jean Carroll, and ordered to pay her $5 million in damages, faces four criminal indictments, including federal charges of inciting the January 6 attack, which led to the deaths of five law enforcement officers.

The DOJ said they’re still seeking more January 6 perpetrators.

“Citizens from across the country have played a crucial role in aiding the investigation,” DOJ officials said. “The FBI continues to seek public assistance in identifying individuals believed to have committed violent acts on Capitol grounds.”