Jan. 6 prosecutions: A look at cases, charges by the numbers
FILE-Protesters gather on the second day of pro-Trump events fueled by President Donald Trump's continued claims of election fraud in an to overturn the results before Congress finalizes them in a joint session of the 117th Congress on Wednesday, Jan
This weekend will mark the three year anniversary of the Capitol riot as the federal government continues its investigation into the mayhem on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C.
In the aftermath of the riot, law enforcement agencies have prosecuted and sentenced suspects – many of whom were supporters of former President Donald Trump – who violently stormed the U.S. Capitol, protesting the results of the presidential election. Members of Congress were meeting to certify the victory of Joe Biden.
The Department of Justice released numbers on its website in October 2023 detailing arrests made, criminal charges, plea deals, criminal trials, sentencings, and assistance the public provided to law enforcement with identifying people connected to the riot.
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Here’s a breakdown by the numbers of where cases against Jan. 6 defendants stand.
Arrests made
More than 1,069 people were charged in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The DOJ notes this includes individuals charged in both District and Superior Court.
Criminal charges
According to the DOJ, approximately 350 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, including 110 people charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.
Eleven people were arrested on a series of charges connected to an assault on a media member or destroying their equipment on Jan. 6.
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Additionally, 935 defendants were charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds. The DOJ explains that of those defendants, 103 were charged with entering a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon.
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Separately, 61 defendants were charged with destruction of government property, and 49 defendants were charged with theft of government property.
There were over 310 defendants charged with corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding or attempting to do so.
And approximately 55 people were charged with conspiracy, for conspiracy to obstruct a congressional proceeding, conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement during a civil disorder, conspiracy to injure an officer, or a combination of the three, the DOJ explained.
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Guilty pleas in Jan. 6 cases
Many defendants arrested for rioting have entered guilty pleas in the aftermath of the incident.
The DOJ reported that 594 people have pleaded guilty to federal charges, many of whom faced or will face prison time during their sentencing.
Approximately 160 have pleaded guilty to felonies, and another 434 entered guilty pleas to misdemeanors.
According to the DOJ, 68 of those people who pleaded guilty to felonies have also pleaded guilty to federal charges of assaulting police officers. An additional 36 people pleaded guilty to what the DOJ says is "feloniously obstructing, impeding, or interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder." Of these 104 defendants, 76 were sentenced to prison terms up to 150 months.
Moreover, four of the defendants who pleaded guilty to felonies have pleaded guilty to the federal charge of seditious conspiracy, the DOJ noted.
Court trials
Hundreds of trials have occurred since the riot, and the DOJ said that 98 people have been found guilty at contested trials, and another 24 defendants were convicted.
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The agency explains that 51 of the 122 defendants were found guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or obstructing officers during a civil disorder, which are felonies, including a person sentenced to over 14 years in prison.
Capitol riot sentencings
About 561 people have been sentenced, with 335 receiving jail time. Per the DOJ, 119 defendants were sentenced to home detention, including 19 who also received a prison sentence.
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The longest sentence was handed down to Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys national chairman who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as a plot to stop the transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat, the AP noted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.