Criminal convictions keep coming for participants in the attack on the Capitol in early 2021 spurred by the lies that Donald Trump and others had been telling about the then-recently concluded 2020 presidential election.
Virginia man Jeremy Groseclose has been found guilty at a bench trial, meaning a trial where the outcome was decided by a judge, of felony and misdemeanor criminal charges stemming from his actions that day. The felony charges include civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding, both of which come with potentially lengthy prison sentences if convicted. The precedent thoroughly established in Capitol riot cases so far suggests Groseclose could eventually be looking at a prison sentence of several years. Both the felony charges of which he was found guilty have consistently been used by prosecutors in cases stemming from that riot.
Groseclose is evidently among the January 6 participants who entered the Capitol building, which is a main subset where prosecutors have been focusing. A press release from the Justice Department says that he helped in forcing a door to remain open as ultimately retreating officers tried to close it amid their attempts to secure the building and complex, where members of the rioting crowds were implicitly and overtly threatening the lives of police officers, government officials, and others. “As USCP tried to close a security door located on the east side of the Crypt, Groseclose and other[s] prevented the door from closing by placing chairs, trash cans, and other objects under the door,” that release said.
Groseclose was wearing a gas mask on January 6, the government also said, suggesting like in the cases of fellow participants in the chaos who were similarly attired that he was prepared for physical violence. He also seemingly captured, per federal recounting of footage showing the scene, a series of photos/video from amid the teeming crowds, but Groseclose appears to have deleted any photos he took. Read more at this link.
