5th Person Pleads Guilty in Jan. 6 Breach of US Capitol

In this image from surveillance video, a man identified by law enforcement as Bryan Wayne Ivey holds a cellphone in front of him after entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (DOJ)

Five people have now pleaded guilty to involvement in the tumultuous events in Washington on Jan. 6 after a Tennessee man admitted to disorderly conduct inside the U.S. Capitol that day.

Bryan Wayne Ivey pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, in exchange for three other charges being dropped, according to court documents. Ivey faces up to six months in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, a potential term of supervised release of one year or less, and restitution. Ivey agreed to pay $500 for the damages caused by the breach, according to the documents.

According to an affidavit from an FBI agent, Ivey entered the Capitol through a broken window and attempted to help others enter the building.

Once inside, Ivey was seen using a cellphone to record people milling around the Capitol Rotunda, according to the complaint.

Ivey had also been hit with three other charges, including knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. Before the plea agreement, he had been facing three years in prison.

Ivey will be sentenced on Sept. 28.

Four others previously pleaded guilty to being involved in the Capitol breach, including two to the same charge as Ivey.

People storm the Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2020. (Ahmed Gaber/Reuters)

Jessica and Joshua Bustle, a married Virginia couple, this month pleaded guilty to the charge. They each face up to six months in jail and fines of up to $6,000.

Two others face stiffer penalties.

Jon Schaffer of Indiana pleaded guilty to two counts in April, including disrupting the orderly conduct of government business. Authorities said Schaffer was armed with bear spray and intended to “stop or delay” the certification of electoral votes that was interrupted by the beach.

Schaffer, described in the plea agreement as “a founding lifetime member” of the Oath Keepers, a group largely comprised of former and current law enforcement officers, faces up to 30 years in prison, fines of up to $500,000, supervised release of up to six years, and fees. A sentencing date isn’t listed on the court docket.

Paul Hodgkins, who was pictured in the Senate chamber on Jan. 6 holding a pro-Trump flag, agreed earlier this month to plead guilty to obstruction, which could land him up to 20 years in jail.

Patrick Leduc, one of his lawyers, told The Epoch Times that Hodgkins’s plea “is a recognition that he made a mistake.”

Hodgkins, a resident of Florida, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19.

Meanwhile, Anna Morgan-Lloyd became the first individual to be sentenced in connection with the Capitol breach and won’t spend any time in jail. She pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building in exchange for three years of probation, $500 in restitution, and 40 hours of community service, court records show.

Nearly 500 people have been charged for offenses related to the breach.