Members of extremist groups. Former police officers. An Olympic medalist swimmer. And active-duty U.S. Marines.
All are among the hundreds of people who have been convicted for their participation in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, which marks its 3rd anniversary this Saturday (6).
The federal court in Washington remains flooded with trials, guilty plea hearings, and sentences stemming from what has become the largest criminal investigation in American history. And the hunt for suspects is far from over.
Authorities are still working to identify more than 80 people wanted for violent acts at the Capitol.
Here’s a summary of the January 6 investigations:
More than 1,230 people have been charged with federal crimes for their participation in the riot, ranging from misdemeanors, such as trespassing, to felonies like assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy. Approximately 730 people have pleaded guilty to charges, while around 170 others have been convicted at trials decided by a judge or jury, according to a database from the Associated Press.
Only two defendants have been acquitted of all charges, and those were trials decided by a judge and not by a jury.
About 750 people have been sentenced, and nearly two-thirds received some time behind bars as a penalty. Sentences range from a few days of intermittent confinement to 22 years in prison. The longest sentence was handed down to Enrique Tarrio, the former national chairman of the Proud Boys, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as a conspiracy to prevent the transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat.
Many protesters have already been released from prison after serving their sentences. Scott Fairlamb – a man from New Jersey who punched a police officer during the riot and was the first defendant to be convicted of assaulting authorities – was released last June.
All Eyes on the Supreme Court
Defense attorneys and prosecutors are closely watching a case that will soon be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and could impact hundreds of January 6 defendants. The justices agreed last month to hear the case of a protester charged with “obstruction of an official proceeding,” which refers to the interruption of Congress’s certification of Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election over Trump.
More than 300 January 6 defendants have been charged with this crime, just as Trump will be tried for the same reason in the federal case brought by special prosecutor Jack Smith. Attorneys representing the protesters argue that the obstruction of an official proceeding charge was improperly brought against the January 6 defendants.
The justices will hear arguments in March or April, with a decision expected by early summer.
And the Bomb Case?
One of the biggest remaining mysteries surrounding the riot is the identity of the person who placed two homemade bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee offices the day before the Capitol attack. Last year, authorities increased the reward to up to $500,000 for information leading to the arrest of the individual. It remains unclear whether there is a connection between the homemade bombs and the riot.
The devices were placed outside both buildings between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on January 5, 2021, but police only found them the next day. Authorities were called to the Republican National Committee office around 12:45 p.m. on January 6. Shortly after, a call came in reporting that a similar explosive device had been found at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. The bombs were safely removed, and no one was injured.
A video released by the FBI shows a person wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, facial mask, and gloves appearing to place one of the explosives under a bench outside the DNC and also shows the same person walking in an alley near the RNC before the bomb was placed there.
Source: AP