A Florida man received a six-month prison sentence followed by home detention and supervised release for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. Ryan K. Yates, a 37-year-old from Holiday, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden and is also required to pay $2,000 in restitution for his actions during the events that disrupted the Electoral College vote certification, the U.S. Department of Justice reported
Yates pleaded guilty to a felony charge after evidence showed he had breached the Capitol on that infamous day. Court documents reveal that Yates pushed through barricades, entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing doors at roughly 2:17 p.m., and eventually made his way through the Statuary Hall, up to the House side of the Capitol, he stood near a group trying to break into the House floor and moved to the Capitol Rotunda and Crypt; as chaos ensued, he was among those trying to force their way into the inner reaches of the Rotunda before being escorted out.
Yates was one of the more than 1,450 individuals charged to date with crimes related to the Capitol breach, which includes over 500 people facing allegations of assaulting or impeding law enforcement. He was apprehended by the FBI on September 26, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. The investigation into the breach is described as ongoing with a broad scope implicating suspects across nearly all 50 states.
Collaboration between the FBI's Tampa and Washington Field Offices, along with input from the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department, were crucial in bringing Yates to justice. The prosecution of the case was carried out by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia alongside the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section, they provided valuable assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida this interconnected approach showcased the vast web of law enforcement agencies working in tandem to unpack the day's events and hold those responsible accountable.
