Press Release
☷Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement Officer During January Six Capitol Breach
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
Apr 28,2022
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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement Officer During Jan . 6 Capitol Breach Defendant Repeatedly Struck Officer With Flagpole WASHINGTON – A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U . S . Capitol on Jan . 6 , 2021 , which disrupted a joint session of the U . S . Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election . Howard C . Richardson , 71 , of King of Prussia , Pennsylvania , pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to assaulting , resisting , or impeding officers . According to court documents , on Jan . 6 , Richardson made his way to the restricted area of the U . S . Capitol grounds , passing by metal barriers and police officers attempting to keep the crowd away . He was carrying a flagpole that he initially waved while he was among the crowd . At about 1:38 p . m . , Richardson was standing several feet away from the police line with the flagpole . He raised it and forcefully swung it downward to strike an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department who was standing behind a metal barricade . Richardson then struck the officer two more times , using enough force to break the flagpole . Richardson was arrested on Nov . 30 , 2021 , in Philadelphia . He is to be sentenced on Aug . 26 , 2022 . He faces a statutory maximum of eight years in prison and a fine of up to $250 , 000 . A federal district court judge 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 Eastern District of Pennsylvania . The case was investigated by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office . Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office , which identified Richardson as #362 in its seeking information photos , the Metropolitan Police Department , the Upper Merion Township , Pennsylvania , Police Department , and the U . S . Capitol Police . In the 15 months since Jan . 6 , 2021 , nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U . S . Capitol , including over 250 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 .
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