Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach – Defendant Obstructed an Officer and Damaged Capitol Doors
2 min read
A Florida man pleaded guilty today to one felony and six misdemeanors 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.
Anthony Sargent, 47, of St. Augustine, Florida, pleaded guilty today in the District of Columbia to the felony charge of civil disorder. In addition, Sargent pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of destruction of property; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
According to court documents, several open-source videos depict Sargent attempting to breach the north entrance to the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. In one of the videos, court documents state that Sargent is seen pushing the crowd in an apparent attempt to breach the outer doors of the north entrance.
Sargent is next seen exiting the north entrance of the Capitol building through a cloud of white smoke. After the smoke dissipates, court documents say that Sargent can be seen waving the crowd back toward the north entrance of the Capitol. Sargent is then seen re-exiting the north entrance after a chemical irritant is sprayed. Additional video footage then shows Sargent twice throwing a rock-like object toward the inner doors of the north entrance.
Later that day, in the same area, a law enforcement officer entered the crowd to attempt to detain a rioter who assaulted another officer. As the officer moved towards the rioter, Sargent physically separated a law enforcement officer from the rioter and prevented the officer from apprehending the rioter.
Sargent was arrested on Sept. 21, 2021. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28, 2023, and faces a statutory maximum of up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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 Middle District of Florida.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Jacksonville Field Offices, which identified Sargent as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #158 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by 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.
About Author
