Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON — A New Jersey man was sentenced today on a felony charge for assaulting a law enforcement officer 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.

            Salvatore Vassallo, 60, of Toms River, N.J., was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers. He pleaded guilty on May 11, 2023.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Vassallo illegally entered the Capitol grounds. He then hopped over a rail and joined a mob that was confronting law enforcement officers on the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol, near the Senate Wing Door and the Senate Fire Door. At approximately 4:26 p.m., Vassallo emerged from the crowd and faced a line of police officers. Several seconds later, he abruptly charged at an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who was in the process of assisting other officers. Vassallo grabbed and pushed the officer with what appeared to be a significant amount of force. Moments later, he departed from that area.

            This case was 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 was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Vassallo as #338 on its seeking information photos, and the FBI’s Newark Field Office. 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 398 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – Niko Hall, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday, in Superior Court, to second degree murder while armed in the September 2020 shooting death of Anthony Lee, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            Hall is the third and final defendant in the case. Co-defendant Kyrie Wells, 21, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to the same charge on January 3, 2023, and was sentenced, on April 13, 2023, to 14 years in prison. On July 6, 2023, a second co-defendant, Darquise Montgomery, 20, of Washington, D.C., also pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed. Montgomery and Hall will be sentenced on November 27, 2023.  

             According to the government’s evidence, just before 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, Anthony Lee, 25, of Washington, D.C., was walking south on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. with a companion. The three defendants lined up across the sidewalk behind him. As Mr. Lee crossed Malcolm X Avenue, Hall, Wells, and Montgomery drew their handguns and opened fire, hitting Mr. Lee once in the back, and killing him.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter V. Roman and Jessica Keefer and Deputy Chief Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – An Illinois man was sentenced today on charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer and a media member during the U.S. Capitol breach 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.

            Shane Jason Woods, 45, of Auburn, Illinois, was sentenced to 54 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta. Woods pleaded guilty on Sept. 9, 2022, in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, to assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers and striking, beating, or wounding a person within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, both felonies. 

            According to court documents and video evidence presented at sentencing, on Jan. 6, 2021, Woods was among those illegally on the Capitol grounds, joining a mob in the northwestern lawn.  At approximately 2:10 p.m., an individual in the crowd sprayed a United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer in the face with a chemical irritant at point-blank range and then ran away. The officer gave chase. As the officer pursued the suspect, Woods—who was standing to the officer’s side and outweighed the officer by over 100 pounds—lowered his shoulder, took several steps, and rammed into the officer, blindsiding them, knocking the officer off of their feet, and sending them flying into a downed metal bicycle barricade. The officer felt immediate pain. The next day, Woods’ assault left the officer feeling as if they had been “hit by a truck.”

            Just over two hours later, Woods gathered with numerous other rioters just outside the media staging area on the northeast side of the Capitol lawn. After spending a few minutes verbally harassing the reporters, camera operators, and technicians gathered there, Woods and several other rioters climbed over the metal barricades separating the media from the mob.

            Woods then walked around some of the piled media equipment that had been destroyed or was in the process of being destroyed by other rioters and kicked some of it himself. Woods then harassed and circled a camera operator. When the camera operator attempted to walk away, Woods followed them and bumped them with his shoulder. The camera operator continued walking away, trying to leave. Woods then took a running start and hit the operator with a blindside shoulder tackle, sending the operator crashing to the ground and causing them to drop the camera.

            Woods was arrested June 24, 2021, in Springfield, Illinois.

            The case was 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 Offices for the Middle District of Florida and the Central District of Illinois.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Woods as #238 in its seeking information photos, as well as the FBI’s Springfield, Illinois, Field Office. Valuable assistance has been 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 398 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – A Washington state man was found guilty in the District of Columbia on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, of seven charges related to his conduct 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 2020 presidential election.

            Marc Anthony Bru, 43, of Vancouver, Washington, was found guilty of all charges against him following a bench trial before U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg. Judge Boasberg found Bru guilty of two felonies, including obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder. In addition to the felonies, Bru was convicted of five misdemeanor charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; entering and remaining in a gallery of Congress; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

            According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Bru—a member of the “Proud Boys” organization—marched with a group of approximately 20 other “Proud Boys” to the U.S. Capitol. As he approached the Capitol, Bru trampled over the downed barricades at the Peace Circle and then entered the Capitol’s West Plaza, where he angrily confronted riot gear-clad police officers attempting to hold the mob at bay.

            When police officers tried to use bicycle rack barricades to force the rioters backward, Bru charged the barricades, grabbed one, and used his entire body weight to prevent the police from moving it forward. An officer tried to spray Bru with a chemical irritant to get him to let go, but Bru ducked and avoided it, leading another officer to force Bru to retreat. Later, despite the blaring alarm, Bru entered the Capitol through an emergency exit and made his way to the recently evacuated Senate chamber, where he took celebratory pictures in the gallery. Approximately seven weeks later, Bru sent an encrypted message to an aspiring “Proud Boy” in which Bru detailed his plans to conduct an armed insurrection against the Oregon state government, modeled on the January 6 Capitol riot.

            Bru was arrested on March 30, 2021, in Vancouver, Washington.

            Bru is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2024.

            All charges carry potential financial penalties. 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington and the Middle District of Florida.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Seattle and Washington Field Offices. 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 398 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.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A Florida man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He and others helped to disrupt a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to count the electoral votes of the 2020 presidential election.