U.S. Prosecutors Get Guilty Verdict In Capitol Riot Case, Extending Win Streak
The U.S. Justice Department on Friday extended its streak of victories in jury trials against rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, securing a guilty verdict in its prosecution of a New Jersey man facing a felony charge.
After less than a day of deliberation, a federal jury in the District of Columbia found Timothy Hale-Cusanelli guilty of all five counts he faced, including obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony carrying a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden will sentence Hale-Cusanelli on Sept. 16.
Hale-Cusanelli is a former member of the U.S. Army Reserves who works as a Navy contractor with a "secret" security clearance and access to weapons, prosecutors said.
An informant told investigators that Hale-Cusanelli was "an avowed white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer" who posts online videos espousing extreme political opinions, the Justice Department alleged in court filings.
Hale-Cusanelli was the fifth Capitol riot defendant to take his case to a jury trial. The Justice Department has secured convictions in all five cases.
Prosecutors have been less successful in the two cases to culminate in non-jury trials. Both of those trials were overseen by McFadden, who partially acquitted one defendant while fully acquitting another.
Video footage from the riot showed Hale-Cusanelli yelling at police officers outside the Capitol complex and entering the building after it was breached.
Hale-Cusanelli's defense lawyer argued that his client did not realize Congress was counting electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021, and therefore lacked a criminal intent.
Thousands of people stormed the Capitol that day to try to keep Congress from certifying current President Joe Biden's victory over then-President Donald Trump, a Republican. More than 800 face criminal charges.
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