On Tuesday, a Washington D.C. jury unanimously found Guy Wesley Reffitt, of Texas, guilty of five criminal charges for his role in the deadly attack on the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021.
The charges include “Transporting a Firearm in Furtherance of a Civil Disorder; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Entering or Remaining in a Restricted Area or Grounds with a Firearm; Obstructing Officers During a Civil Disorder; and Obstruction of Justice—Hindering Communication Through Force or Threat of Physical Force.” The jury took under four hours to reach their verdict, NPR reports.
The verdict came four days of often emotional testimony, and closing arguments in a courthouse located a short walk away from the Capitol.
Prosecutors accused the defendant of traveling to Washington, DC with a fellow member of a far-right militia organization called the Texas Three Percenters.
Don't Miss
“Testimony and evidence showed that Reffitt brought an AR-15 rifle and a pistol with him on the trip. He took that pistol with him to Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, along with zip-tie style flex cuffs, a helmet, and body armor.”
Court documents say that “Officers shot at Reffitt with pepper balls, plastic less-lethal rounds, and ultimately stopped him with pepper spray.”
Reffitt, 49, is also accused of threatening to shoot his children if they reported him to the FBI.
To make matters worse, Reffitt’s own lawyer bluntly told jurors during closing arguments that Reffitt was indeed “guilty” of some of the charges against him.
He faces decades in prison. Reffitt will be sentenced at a later date.
