A man from Utah was recently convicted on several charges related to the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach. Odin Meacham, 30, faced the judgment of the federal court in the District of Columbia on June 17, for his involvement in the events that interrupted a crucial congressional procedure for validating the electoral votes of the 2020 presidential election, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Among the convictions handed down to Meacham were civil disorder and engaging in physical violence on restricted grounds, with the added gravity of using a dangerous weapon. He is also to have been found guilty of multiple counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers. According to U.S. Attorney's Office, Meacham notably made the over two thousand mile journey from Utah to participate in the "Stop the Steal Rally" in Washington D.C. and was among the throngs who later made their way to the Capitol.
Testimony and video footage showed that Meacham was at the forefront of the mob and ardently participated in the clashes with officers. The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed that Meacham wielded a flagpole as a weapon against a Capitol Police Officer yet continuing to strike even after it had snapped. Meacham didn't stop there; he went on to throw a metal pole at another officer, striking him on the hand.
U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates is scheduled to sentence Meacham on September 26. The arrest came well over a year after the Capitol siege, with the FBI apprehending Meacham on May 15, 2023. In the expanding aftermath of the insurrection, more than 1,450 individuals have been charged for various crimes connected to the breach, over 500 of which encompass the felony of assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
With assistance from federal and local law enforcement agencies, the investigation remains ongoing. The collaborative effort between the Department of Justice, FBI field offices, and police departments has been paramount in the gradual process of holding accountable the individuals responsible for the collective effrontery to the nation's legislative sanctum.
