From the Justice Department:
A New York man was sentenced today for assaulting a law enforcement officer 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.
Thomas F. Sibick, 37, of Buffalo, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to 50 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,500.79 in restitution.
Sibick pleaded guilty to one felony count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and one misdemeanor count of theft on March 3, 2023.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Sibick made his way illegally onto the ground of the U.S. Capitol and into the mob gathered on the West Plaza.
Here, Sibick posted a “selfie” video on Instagram depicting himself in the mob. The video pans the crowd with the caption, “Wildest experience of my life!!”
Sibick then filmed himself screaming, “Just got tear-gassed, but we’re going, baby, we’re going! We’re pushing forward now!
Court documents say that a group of United States Capitol Police (USCP) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers had formed a police line at one of the two glass doorways on the Lower West Terrace that lead inside the Capitol to prevent a mob of rioters from entering.
At approximately 3:08 p.m., Sibick joined a crowd of rioters in this area who were pushing against the police line, entered the tunnel, and made his way to the front of the mob. Sibick then left the crowd only to return a short while later.
At this time, court documents say that around 3:15 p.m., an MPD officer at the front of the police line was pulled into the crowd of rioters.
Once the officer was in the mob, various members of the crowd began to assault the officer, including by tasing, kicking, punching, grabbing, and throwing objects.
The officer also had his limbs restrained while a rioter attempted to remove the officer’s service weapon from the holster. Court documents say that a member of the mob threatened to take the officer’s gun and kill the officer.
While the officer was attacked, body-worn camera footage shows Sibick reaching toward the officer and forcibly removing the officer’s badge and radio.
Later, court documents say that Sibick posed for a picture of himself holding and pointing to a USCP riot shield.
Sibick returned the stolen badge to federal authorities after having taken it home with him and buried it in his backyard in Buffalo. The radio was never recovered.
Thomas Sibick was sentenced to 50 months in prison for the Jan. 6 assault on D.C. police officer Michael Fanone. https://t.co/QjUdu1SYEW
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 29, 2023
A judge sentenced Thomas Sibick to 50 months in prison for allegedly assaulting former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone and stealing his badge and radio. He later returned the badge to the FBI, but the radio still has not been found. https://t.co/jZEec1HYQv
— The Hill (@thehill) July 29, 2023
⚖️🚨 SENTENCED🚨⚖️#Consequences#Jan6thInsurrection
THOMAS SIBICK ⤵️, 35 of Buffalo, NY, has been SENTENCED to 50 months in prison for his CRIMES at the Capitol on 1/6
Sibick is FBI # 115 AFO
FBI tip line: 1-800-225-5324 pic.twitter.com/wd0PEHKeJL
— Walter Klingler (@WalterKlingler) July 28, 2023