AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin man on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a felony charge linked to his actions during the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 38-year-old Geoffrey Shough pleaded guilty to interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder.
Officials report that Shough attended a rally near the Ellipse on Jan. 6 and then marched with others to the U.S. Capitol. Around 1:50 p.m., he was among a crowd of rioters illegally on the West Lawn of the Capitol grounds.
There, he reportedly waved a large Texas flag and cheered as rioters attacked and overwhelmed law enforcement officers nearby on the northwest steps. Officials said he was later among the first individuals in the crowd that overwhelmed officers during the breach of the Senate Wing door around 2:48 p.m.
"After the rioters overwhelmed the officers, Shough engaged in a very animated conversation with one or more of the officers," officials said. "During his plea hearing, he acknowledged telling the officers that they 'should go home.' He traveled through the Crypt, past the House Wing door, and through the Hall of Columns before finally exiting the Capitol at approximately 3:03 p.m."
Shough was eventually arrested on March 1, 2022, in Austin. He is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 8. He now faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison for civil disorder, as well as potential financial penalties.
The Department of Justice reports that more than 860 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack, including 260 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
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