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Colorado Springs man sentenced for actions during the Jan. 6 US Capitol breach

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WASHINGTON D.C. — A Colorado Springs man was sentenced Wednesday after he was convicted on charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach, according to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

Tyler Earl Ethridge, who is 35 years old, was sentenced to seven months in prison and 24 months of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras.

The DOJ said Judge Contreras convicted Ethridge on Sept. 8, 2023 of obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder, which are both felonies. He was also convicted of several misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

Evidence presented in the trial revealed Ethridge traveled from Colorado to Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021 to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally.

The DOJ said he then left the rally, and around 12:55 p.m., Ethridge and others destroyed barricades, overwhelmed police and knocked an officer to the ground. Ethridge also helped remove a bike rack on the northwest approach of the Capitol. He proceeded with the crowd past barricades to the West Plaza outside the Capitol. He was pepper-sprayed and shot with rubber bullets by police officers trying to control the crowd, according to the DOJ.

Ethridge climbed a media scaffolding and exhorted the crowd to keep fighting police.

Around 2:35 p.m., Ethridge entered the Capitol and headed to the Rotunda. The DOJ said he recorded a video where loud alarms are heard, and you can also hear him tell someone to "cover your face." Ethridge stayed inside the Rotunda for about three minutes and he filmed several other videos and posted them to social media.

After leaving the Rotunda, Ethridge joined a crowd in the hallway between there and the Senate Chamber. The DOJ said he and others resisted police, and after that, Ethridge went back to the Rotunda for about 10 minutes.

Ethridge then left the U.S. Capitol.

He was in the building for about 30 minutes.

After the Capitol breach, Ethridge stayed active on social media. In a post on Sept. 24, 2021, the DOJ said Ethridge posted the following:

"Don’t be afraid of what they sentence you with. I’m not. I’m ready for whatever I’ll be charged with. America is still primed and ready.”
Tyler Earl Ethridge via social media

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Ethridge in Colorado on July 8, 2022.

According to the DOJ, more than 1,500 people have been charged in almost all 50 states for crimes related to the Capitol breach.

People who have been accused of being involved in the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021 and are from Colorado (or arrested here):

  • Alexis Bustos was arrested in Denver on Nov. 18, 2021. He was charged with two counts of temporary residence of the president and two counts of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. He pleaded guilty to one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds in November 2022. The other counts were dismissed. He was sentenced to a probation term of 24 months. His hometown is unknown. 
  • Todd Branden Casey of Denver wasarrested on Aug. 30 in Georgetown, Colorado. He faces felony charges of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, plus multiple misdemeanor charges. 
  • Jacob Clark of Colorado Springs (previously lived in Trinidad)was arrested in April 2021 on multiple charges in connection to the Jan. 6 riot. He demanded police officers to stand down during the attack.He was sentenced on Oct. 30, 2023 to nearly three years in prison and a year of supervised release.
  • Glen Wes Lee Croy, of Colorado Springs,pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing inside the Capitol in August 2021. He wassentenced in November to 90 days of house arrest along with 14 days in a community correctional facility. He called himself an idiot.
  • Tyler Earl Ethridge of Colorado Springswas arrested in July 2022 in Denver and faces six federal charges for his participation in the riot. He is a pastor who graduated from Charis Bible College in Woodland Park. After he was convicted on Sept. 8, 2023, he was sentenced on Sept. 25, 2024 to seven months in prison
  • Isaiah Farnsworth, who lives in Tennessee but was living in Broomfield, Colorado in January 2021, was sentenced on Sept. 8, 2023 to three months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for one felony count of destruction of government property. He pleaded guilty on May 4, 2023. 
  • Robert Gieswein of Woodland Parkwas arrested and faced multiple charges in January 2021 in connection to the Jan. 6 riot, including assault on an officer "with a spray canister, temporary barrier, and baseball bat," according to his arrest affidavit.He pleaded guilty to a felony charge in early March 2023.He was sentenced to 48 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. 
  • Jonathan David Grace of Colorado Springswas arrested on March 30, 2023 on felony and misdemeanor charges. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2023 to assaulting a law enforcement officer, and was sentenced on Jan. 30, 2024 to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $5,000 in fines and $2,000 in restitution.
  • Logan Grover of Eriewas charged in April 2021 with disruptive conduct in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds, and demonstrating in a capitol building. Hepleaded guilty in July 2022. He served in the Army Reserve for nearly 10 years and was deployed to Iraq,according to The Denver Post. He was sentenced to a month of house arrest and two years' probation in February 2023.
  • Thomas Patrick Hamner of Peytonwas arrested and charged in November 2021. Videos allegedly showed him fighting with Capitol and Metropolitan Police. In September 2022,he was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
  • Lisa Ann Homer of Colorado Springswas arrested in November 2021 in Colorado Springs. She faces charges of illegally entering the capitol, disorderly and disruptive conduct on capitol grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building. Shewas sentenced to three years' probation, 60 hours of community service, a $5,000 fine and $500 restitution.
  • Jennifer Horvath of Colorado Springswas arrested and charged in May 2022 on multiple federal charges. She was located after FBI agents linked her to her boyfriend Glen Wes Lee Croy (listed above), who was also arrested, charged and sentenced for his involvement. Shewas sentenced in November 2022 to 36 months of probation, including 90 days of home confinement and 14 days at a residential facility, plus a $500 restitution.
  • Klete Keller, an Olympian from Colorado Springs,pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding after storming the U.S. Capitol in September 2021. He faces 21 to 27 months in prison.He was sentenced to 6 months of home detention and 3 years’ probation.
  • Clive Kincaid, of Durango, was arrested on Aug. 22, 2023 on charges of knowingly entering the Capitol without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building on restricted grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. 
  • Rebecca Lavrentz of Falcon pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts in connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. 
  • Avery Carter MacCracken of San Miguel Countywas charged in December 2021 with assaulting officers in the Jan. 6 riot. He was arrested in Norwood on six federal charges. He was captured on videos and in photos fighting with U.S. Capitol Police officers.He pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer on Oct. 20, 2023. Hewas sentenced on May 16, 2024
  • Matthew James Melsen, 34, of Wheat Ridgewas arrested on Feb. 28, 2024 in Colorado. He faces the following charges: felony civil disorder and felony assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, as well as misdemeanors including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
  • Patrick Montgomery of Douglas Countywas charged in January 2021 with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. According to an affidavit for his arrest, federal investigators were tipped off by someone who saw Montgomery in photos from inside the Capitol posted to Facebook. He pleaded not guilty and was convicted on March 20, 2024
  • Daniel Michael Morrissey wascharged in federal court in November 2021 for illegally entering the U.S. Capitol. He pleaded guilty to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds andwas sentenced to 45 days of incarceration and 26 months of probation in mid-August.
  • Hunter Palm of Colorado Springswas arrested in May 2021 after he allegedly entered U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office on Jan. 6. He was identified to federal investigators by a family member. He was arrested in May 2021 and indicted the following month. He initially pleaded not guilty to all counts before taking a plea deal.He was sentenced in January 2024 to 36 months of probation.
  • Jeffrey Sabol of Jefferson County isaccused of dragging a police officer down steps to be beaten by an American flag outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A federal judgedenied him bail in April 2021. After the attack, prosecutors said he tried to fly to Switzerland. In March 2024, he was sentenced after he was convicted of three felonies — obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, federal robbery, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting — to 63 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $32,165.65 in restitution.
  • Justin Schulze, of Colorado Springs,was arrested on Nov. 13, 2023 and faces felony and misdemeanor charges after reportedly storming the U.S. Capitol with hundreds of other Trump supporters.
  • Christian Peter Tyner, of Highlands Ranch, was arrested in Washington DC on charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He pleaded guilty in November to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building and grounds and one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He was sentenced to 24 months probation. He is David Tyner’s son.
  • David Christian Tyner, of Highlands Ranch, was arrested on charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He pleaded guilty in November to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building and grounds and one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He was sentenced to 36 months probation. He is Christian Tyner’s father.
  • Timothy Williams of Trinidad was charged in June 2021 with multiple federal crimes. FBI agents found Williams on videos of the rioters inside the Capitol that day.
  • Eric Zeis, of Monument, was arrested on Nov. 13, 2023 and faces felony and misdemeanor charges after reportedly storming the U.S. Capitol with hundreds of other Trump supporters.