Rioter Found Guilty Of Felony, Faces Up To 20 Years

From the Justice Department:



A Memphis, Tennessee area man was found guilty today by a jury in the District of Columbia of felony and misdemeanor offenses for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. 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 presidential election.

Matthew Bledsoe, 38, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, was found guilty of the felony offense of obstruction of an official proceeding, and four misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol Building; disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building.

According to the government’s evidence, in the days immediately following the Nov. 3, 2020, election, Bledsoe began posting to social media about the presidential election. On Jan. 6, 2021, he attended a rally near the Ellipse.

Bledsoe then headed to the Capitol, and illegally entered the Capitol grounds shortly after 2:13 p.m. He then moved to the Capitol Building itself. He scaled a wall at the Upper Northwest Terrace and entered through a fire door at the Senate Wing.

Among other things, he yelled, “In the Capitol. This is our house. We pay for this s—. Where’s those pieces of s—at?” He climbed a statue and was outside the corridor to the House Chamber and hallways near the Speaker’s Lobby. He left the building about 2:47 p.m., after approximately 22 minutes inside.

In the days following the riot, Bledsoe continued to message with friends and family and post on social media regarding what happened on Jan. 6.

For example, on Jan. 7, he posted on Facebook photos of Members of Congress taking cover and security officers defending the Members during the riot. One caption read, “How corrupt politicians should feel.”

He is to be sentenced on Oct. 21, 2022. The felony obstruction charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. The four misdemeanor offenses carry a combined statutory maximum of three years of incarceration and potential financial penalties.