Washington, D.C./ Crime & Emergencies
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Published on October 31, 2024
Two Virginia Men Convicted for Felony Charges in January 6 Capitol Breach CaseSource: Blogtrepreneur, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Two Virginia men have been convicted on felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from their involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, in which a mob disrupted the congressional session meant to certify the 2020 election results. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia, Peter Willey, age 37, from Roanoke, and Ethan Mauck, age 31, from Troutville, was found guilty on Oct. 29, by U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes for various charges including felony obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.

During the trial, the evidence presented, including open-source video and photographs, showed Willey and Mauck attending the "Stop the Steal" Rally and subsequently trespassing onto restricted grounds of the Capitol, and it was the struggle at the Lower West Plaza that wherein law enforcement deployed pepper spray to disperse the participants, Mauck, caught on video, clearly distressed as he rubbed his eyes, signaling his encounter with the irritant amid the chaos, Willey engaged in more confrontations, moving a large sign towards the police line as if it were a battering ram and later, involved in the "heave-ho" tactic used against police shields in the Tunnel confrontation.

These recent convictions are part of a larger investigation that involves more than 1,532 individuals from across the nation, where more than 571 have faced charges for assaulting or hindering law enforcement. The FBI, continually seeking information related to the Capitol breach, assigned Willey as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #84, and the public may still provide tips by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting the FBI tip website. Sentencing for the two men is scheduled for Feb. 28, 2025, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia. Both Willey and Mauck were taken into custody by the FBI on Aug. 31, 2023, as their actions that fateful January day finally led to their legal reckoning.