Source: United States Department of Justice News
WASHINGTON — A Massachusetts man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 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.
Michael St. Pierre, 46, of Swansea, Massachusetts, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of civil disorder. In addition, St. Pierre is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including destruction of government property; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; and committing an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
St. Pierre was arrested today in Fall River and will make his initial appearance in the District of Massachusetts.
According to court documents, St. Pierre traveled from his home in Massachusetts to Washington, D.C, and participated in the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021. While walking towards the Capitol grounds, St. Pierre can be heard stating that the Capitol is “where the meeting ground is. Hopefully, they’ll bust through, and I’ll join them to rush the Capitol, to grab Nancy Pelosi by the hair.”
Court documents state that video footage taken from that day depicts a man, later identified as St. Pierre, throwing an object through the open exterior doors at a set of interior doors of the Capitol building. Video footage also shows U.S. Capitol Police officers attempting to manage the crowd outside the doors and finally retreating to the interior entryway of the building as the crowd became more violent. Once the officers were inside, several protesters, including St. Pierre, threw objects at the doors that the officers were behind.
St. Pierre is also seen encouraging others to assist him as he joins a group of rioters pushing against a police line. In another open-source video, court documents say that St. Pierre is seen encouraging rioters to enter the Capitol building through a megaphone, stating, “We need everybody, let’s get in the Capitol.”
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 Massachusetts.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Boston Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 30 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,069 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 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.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.