UPDATE | Oct. 31, 2024 — Patrick Montgomery was sentenced to 37 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release on Oct. 31, 2024.
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DENVER — A man from Littleton was found guilty of two felony charges in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 breach at the U.S. Capitol.
Patrick Montgomery, 51, was convicted of felony obstruction of an official proceeding and felony assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Montgomery, along with two men from Utah — Brady Knowlton, 43, of St. George, and Gary Wilson, 55, of Salt Lake City — were convicted following a stipulated bench trial in front of U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss, the DOJ said.
Their sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 2.
According to the stipulated facts, the three men walked together to a Stop the Steal rally in Washington, DC on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021. After the rally, they went to the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building and crossed inside.
The DOJ said around 2 p.m., Montgomery grabbed an officer's baton and tried to wrestle it away. The officer, who held onto the baton, fell to the ground with Montgomery and they both tried to get control of it. The DOJ said Montgomery kicked the officer in the chest during the altercation.
Afterward, the three men went up the Upper West Terrace Stairs with a large group of people, and approached the Upper West Terrace Door. The exterior doors were propped open and an alarm was sounding. They entered the Capitol building at 2:35 p.m., the DOJ said.
They climbed to the second floor, entered the Rotunda, went to the third floor and walked toward the Senate Gallery, which they entered around 2:43 p.m. When they left and went down to the Senate Floor on the second floor, the trio confronted a U.S. Capitol Police officer. The men yelled at the officer, the DOJ reported, and Montgomery said: "You gotta stop doing your job sometime and start being American. You gotta quit doing your job and be an American!"
All three men left the U.S. Capitol building around 2:53 p.m.
Montgomery, identified as #459 in the FBI's photographs of suspects, was arrested on Jan. 17, 2021 in Colorado. He was charged a few days later. The Utah men were arrested on April 7, 2021.
According to an affidavit for Montgomery's arrest, federal investigators were tipped off by someone who saw him in photos from inside the Capitol posted to Facebook. The tipster asked Montgomery if it was him who was pictured, and Montgomery responded: “Got nothing to hide…” according to screenshots posted within the affidavit. After the tipster told Montgomery he was being reported to the FBI, Montgomery responded that he was “so deeply covered by the best Federal Defense lawyers in the country” and not scared. He went on to claim that his group was "let in [to the Capitol] peacefully by the police."
Since Jan. 6, 2021, about 1,350 people have been charged related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. This includes 486 people who have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Anybody with a tip can contact 1-800-225-5324 or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Colorado people involved on Jan. 6, 2021 who are facing federal charges or have been sentenced:
- 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.
- 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. She was 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.
- Avery Carter MacCracken of San Miguel County was 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.
- Matthew James Melsen, 34, of Wheat Ridge was 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 County was 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 was charged 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 and was sentenced to 45 days of incarceration and 26 months of probation in mid-August.
- Hunter Palm of Colorado Springs was 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 is accused of dragging a police officer down steps to be beaten by an American flag outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A federal judge denied him bail in April 2021. After the attack, prosecutors said he tried to fly to Switzerland.
- 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.
- 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.
