Source: United States Department of Justice News
WASHINGTON – A New Jersey man was found guilty in the District of Columbia today of felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Patrick Alonzo Stedman, 35, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, was found guilty of five charges, including one felony count and four misdemeanor counts, following a trial before U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell. Stedman was convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, a felony, as well as four misdemeanors: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Stedman traveled from New Jersey to Washington, D.C., and entered the Capitol building for over 40 minutes on Jan. 6, 2021. In a series of posts to his Twitter page, Stedman detailed his travel to D.C. and his involvement in the Capitol breach and riots.
In one post on Jan. 6, 2021, Stedman posted an image from inside the Capitol building, stating, “I can tell you having been in the Capitol these videos the MSM (mainstream media) is showing of fights between cops and protestors are unlike any of the dynamics I saw. Does this look like a “tense” scene to you?” In another post, Stedman posted, “[s]hots fired, guns drawn by guards.”
In a series of live-streamed videos posted to Twitter on Jan. 6, 2021, Stedman discusses the details of his presence inside the U.S. Capitol, including sitting in Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s office, stating, “I was pretty much in the first wave, and we broke down the doors and climbed up the back part of the Capitol building and got all the way into the chambers.”
Stedman’s obstruction charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. A federal court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering all factors and the U.S. Sentencing guidelines. Stedman is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8, 2023.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Philadelphia’s South Jersey Resident Agency. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 29 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.