A Virginia man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge for 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 presidential election.
Jonathan G. Mellis, 35, of Williamsburg, Virginia, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon, a felony offense. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled a sentencing hearing for Sept. 13, 2023.
According to court documents, during the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, uniformed members of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD) arrived at the scene to assist U.S. Capitol Police in restoring order. Body-worn camera footage from MPD officers reviewed after the incident show an individual later identified as Mellis, along with others, using sticks and other items as weapons to assault law enforcement officers protecting an entrance to the Capitol.