A Texas couple has received prison sentences for their involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, where they were convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers among other charges. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mark Middleton, 55, was sentenced to 30 months and his wife Jalise Middleton, 54, to 20 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss. The Middletons, from Forestburg, Texas, were involved in the turbulent event that shook the nation when Congress was set to affirm the 2020 presidential election results.
The verdict came after a federal jury found the Middletons guilty on multiple charges, which included two felony counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, as well as civil disorder. Although they faced additional charges for obstructing an official proceeding, these were dismissed pre-sentencing following the Supreme Court's decision in Fischer v. United States. Their misdemeanors featured entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Trial evidence, supported by police body-worn camera footage, depicted a scenario where Mark Middleton defied orders from law enforcement and physically clashed with barricades and officers. Simultaneously, Jalise Middleton was seen striking an officer and attempting to drag him towards the crowd. After the altercation, both Middletons boasted on social media about their direct role in breaching the barricades, which only ended because of the deployment of pepper spray by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The investigation, led by the FBI's Dallas and Washington Field Offices, in coordination with the United States Capitol Police and the MPD, culminated in the couple’s arrest on April 21, 2021. More than 1,532 individuals have been charged since the Jan. 6 incident, with over 571 of them facing serious allegations of assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation into the breach of the U.S. Capitol is still ongoing, and those with relevant information are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or via their online tip system.
