A Connecticut man has entered a guilty plea for his role in assaulting law enforcement officers with a weapon on January 6, during the U.S. Capitol breach. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Richard Markey, a 38-year-old from Wolcott, admitted to his actions which disrupted the Congressional proceedings intended to formalize the 2020 presidential election results.
The U.S. Department of Justice detailed that Markey traveled to Washington, D.C., specifically for the riot on January 5, 2021, and engaged in violent acts against officers the next day. During a confrontation at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, Markey climbed other rioters to reach and strike police with a baton, later using his fists as well, the weaponization of his anger, manifest in the thrum and heft of iron. He then snatched a shield from officers and kicked it, also tearing a pole from an officer's hands which he used to continue his assault, punctuated with the accusation, "Oath breaker!"
The FBI arrested Markey on July 17, 2023, following his identification as BOLO ("Be On the Look Out") 265-AFO, for Assault on a Federal Officer. The investigation, led by the FBI’s Washington and New Haven Field Offices, also saw contributions from the U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department. In the 43 months since the Capitol breach, over 1,488 individuals have been arrested in connection with the event, with nearly 550 facing felony charges for assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Markey’s sentencing is slated for December 6, after his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta. The case is being prosecuted by the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section and, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, with the District of Connecticut's office also offering valuable assistance.
