A South Carolina man has been handed a 60-day prison sentence for his involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Derek Cooper Gunby, 43, from Anderson, was found guilty on four misdemeanor counts that included entering and remaining in a restricted building and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.
According to details from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Gunby was convicted by a federal jury in Washington D.C. on November 13, 2023. In addition to his prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman sentenced him on Tuesday, to also serve 12 months of supervised release and to pay a $1,500 fine.
The evidence at trial showed Gunby driving from South Carolina to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C. He posted a photo of himself in fatigues traveling on the Metro early on the morning of January 6, 2021, captioned, “Up at Zero Dark Thirty to stop this steal.” Post-rally, Gunby was seen entering restricted areas at the Capitol and recording his actions. “We’re on the Capitol steps… and we are trying to storm the Capitol building. We’re taking the country back," Gunby is heard saying on his recorded video, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Despite being ejected by police from inside the Capitol, Gunby continued to defiantly remain on restricted grounds and recorded further videos. “We all pretty much surrounded the Capitol. We are at a point now in this country where they are going to listen to us, they have to listen to us," he proclaimed in a Metro video post-riot. The FBI later arrested Gunby on August 10, 2021, in his home state.
The Jan. 6 investigation has led to charges against over 1,572 individuals from across nearly all 50 states, including more than 590 individuals charged with felonies for assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, along with the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, prosecuted Gunby's case, with the FBI’s Columbia and Washington Field Offices leading the investigation. The probe into the Capitol breach is reported to still be ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with tips to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov.
