Source: United States Department of Justice News
WASHINGTON – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge 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.
Ryan Swoope, 29, of Perry, Ohio, pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers before U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden in the District of Columbia. Judge McFadden scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 5, 2024.
According to court documents, Swoope and two co-defendants traveled from Ohio to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally at the Ellipse. After the rally, the three walked toward the U.S. Capitol building with a large crowd.
At 3:08 p.m., Swoope entered the U.S. Capitol through the Senate Wing Door. Upon entry, he saw the broken windows inside the door frame while an alarm sounded. Swoope then walked towards the Crypt and entered the Senate Spouses’ Lobby. While in the lobby, he chanted “Our House” in response to someone chanting “Whose House?”
A few minutes later, Swoope left through the Senate Wing Door at 3:17 p.m. He continued towards the north side of the Capitol, where he joined a group of rioters at the North Door. Sometime after the Swoope’s arrival, several members of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and the Metropolitan Police Department retreated into the Capitol through the North Door. As the officers moved into the North Door vestibule, Swoope and several other rioters crowded around the doorway. At 3:52 p.m., Swoope sprayed a canister of chemical irritant into the vestibule, striking a USCP sergeant in the face and blinding the officer for 20 minutes.
The FBI arrested Swoope on Nov. 30, 2022, in Mentor, Ohio.
The Court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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 Northern District of Ohio.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Cleveland and Washington Field Offices, which identified Swoope as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) Assault on Federal Officer (AFO) #486 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
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.