WASHINGTON, March 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The first person to face trial over the Jan 6 storming of the US Capitol has been found guilty on all counts.
Guy Reffitt, 49, from Texas, was convicted of five charges including obstruction of an official proceeding and interfering with police in a riot.
The case was being closely watched as a possible bellwether for hundreds more cases related to that day which will come to trial in the months ahead.
Jurors took under four hours to unanimously convict Reffitt.
According to investigators, Reffitt was among the mob of Donald Trump supporters that stormed the Capitol on Jan 6 as lawmakers met to confirm Joe Biden’s presidential win.
Reffitt – an oil-field worker and alleged member of the Three Percenters far-right militia – drove from Texas to Washington DC to participate in the riot, and led fellow members of the Three Percenters up the Capitol’s staircase to the building.
In court, prosecutors used Reffitt’s own words against him, telling jurors that he “lit the match” during the riot.
Reffitt faces up to 60 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for June 8.
Reffitt’s prosecution was aided by multiple videos taken on and after Jan 6, in which he discussed planning and later bragged about his participation in the riot.
The videos included a 30-minute clip recorded with a helmet camera among the crowd outside the Capitol, and a self-recorded Zoom call in which he bragged about the day’s events.
Among those who testified against him was his 19-year-old son Jackson, who said his father threatened him to keep quiet.
“He said ‘if you turn me in, you’re a traitor,” the younger Reffitt testified about his father. “And traitors get shot”.
Another witness, Rocky Hardie, testified that he travelled to Washington in a car with Reffitt that contained weapons and ammunition. He added that Reffitt carried a pistol and zip ties during the riot.
During the trial, Reffitt’s defence attorney, William L Welch, called no witnesses and presented no evidence, but said that Reffitt had not assaulted police officers during the riot and characterised Reffitt as being prone to exaggerating.
With their verdict, members of the jury in Reffitt’s trial showed that they believe the Capitol siege was an assault on democracy. They also made it clear that they thought that Reffitt’s claim, that he was just a big talker and meant no harm, was beside the point.
The guilty verdict means that others who have been accused of crimes related to the Jan 6 riot – and there are hundreds of these individuals – will be more likely to plea bargain, rather than risk facing a jury.
To date, more than 750 people have been arrested for their role in the riot, including members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
The leader of the far-right Proud Boys group has been charged with conspiracy in connection with the Capitol riot.
Enrique Tarrio, 38, was arrested on Tuesday morning in Miami, Florida, according to the Justice Department. — NNN-AGENCIES
