A Baltimore man was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on a felony charge related to his actions 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.
Narayana Rheiner, 42, of Baltimore, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to 15 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. Rheiner pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder on Nov. 4, 2022.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Rheiner was part of a mob illegally massed on the Upper West Plaza of the Capitol. Law enforcement officers there were maintaining a police line to prevent the mob from advancing further. At approximately 2:04 p.m., Rheiner went to the front of the mob, and waved other rioters to come forward, yelling at them to “push up” against the police line. He pushed against officers and grabbed an officer’s riot shield. He pulled the riot shield out of the officer’s hands, causing the officer to fall down several stairs onto the ground.