Source: United States Department of Justice News
WASHINGTON – A New York man was sentenced today on two felony 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 2020 presidential election.
Jonathan J. Munafo, 36, of Albany, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to 33 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Munafo pleaded guilty to two felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and civil disorder on April 21, 2023.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Munafo arrived at the U.S. Capitol building grounds in Washington, D.C., along with a large group of protestors that had made their way toward the building following the former President’s speech at the Ellipse. Munafo then made his way to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel and pushed and cajoled his way inside at about 2:57 p.m. Munafo exited the Tunnel but then reappeared with a gas mask and made his way to the front of the line of rioters.
Munafo then left the Tunnel and moved to an area just south. From there, he saw members of the mob steal a shield away from police and cheered along with other rioters. Munafo then made several attempts to scale the wall of the Capitol building next to the Tunnel. He used two different poles to strike the window of a Capitol office approximately 13 times. Munafo often looked back at the crowd, shouting, chanting, and attempting to rile up the other rioters.
Later, at about 3:21 p.m., Munafo punched a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Officer twice while attempting to rip the officer’s riot shield away. The second punch from Munafo appears to have caused the officer’s head to snap back. Munafo then took the officer’s riot shield and slunk away into the crowd, leaving the officer without a shield and vulnerable to attacks from other rioters.
Munafo was arrested on April 26, 2021, in Orlando, Florida.
The 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 Middle District of Florida, where Munafo was arrested.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Jacksonville and Washington Field Offices, who listed Munafo as Assault on a Federal Officer (AFO) #170 in their seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.