The Jan. 6 defendant widely seen as the instigator of the violent breach of Capitol grounds was convicted Friday of multiple felonies for his role in the attack, including the assault of Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards, who was briefly knocked unconscious by the force of his charge.
Ryan Samsel and four codefendants, who arrived at the thinly guarded barricades surrounding Capitol grounds even before Donald Trump concluded an address to supporters down the street, were each convicted of participating in the “civil disorder” wrought by the mob and of assaulting one of several police officers who guarded that first line.
U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb issued the verdict three months after presiding over a bench trial of the five men, who also included James Grant, Stephen Randolph, Paul Johnson and Jason Blythe. Samsel, Grant and Randolph were also convicted of obstructing congressional proceedings, a felony charge that is now being scrutinized by the Supreme Court to determine whether it was meant to sweep in conduct alleged against Jan. 6 defendants.
After Samsel and his codefendants toppled the initial barricades, the mob — reinforced by thousands who subsequently left Trump’s rally at the Ellipse — swelled until it overwhelmed police lines and cleared a path to the Capitol building itself, leading to the breach of the building.
The defendants are due to be sentenced in June and prosecutors are sure to ask for prison terms that span several years or more.
Though the verdict represents yet another batch of high-profile Jan. 6 felony convictions, the result was nevertheless mixed. Cobb rejected three charges against each of the defendants related to trespassing and disorderly conduct on the restricted grounds of the Capitol, ruling that the Justice Department had failed to prove the defendants were aware that Vice President Mike Pence and his family were present during the melee.
Cobb joins two other district court judges who have found in recent weeks that prosecutors must prove defendants were aware of the presence of a Secret Service protectee in order to convict Jan. 6 rioters of the trespassing charges, formally known as “entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds.”
Samsel was one of the earliest figures central to the Jan. 6 violence to be arrested and detained in the investigation. He has been incarcerated since January 2021 and has been a figure of great interest to both prosecutors and congressional investigators probing the attack. Videos and surveillance footage of the attack show Samsel approaching the barricades shortly before 1 p.m. on Jan. 6.
Samsel briefly huddled with Joe Biggs, a leader of the Proud Boys, moments before charging the barricades — an encounter that became a significant episode in the seditious conspiracy trial of Biggs and four other Proud Boys leaders. Samsel also briefly spoke with Ray Epps in those same moments, which became fodder for baseless pro-Trump conspiracy theories that Epps was a federal agent seeking to foment unrest at the Capitol.
Samsel initially told federal investigators that Biggs told him he had a gun and wanted Samsel to attack the police, while Epps had sought to calm him down, but he has since backed away from that version of events. Prosecutors indicated in Epps’ recent sentencing that Samsel gave conflicting accounts.
Ryan Samsel, Jan. 6 defendant who instigated breach, convicted of multiple felonies
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02.02.2024
The Jan. 6 defendant widely seen as the instigator of the violent breach of Capitol grounds was convicted Friday of multiple felonies for his role in the attack, including the assault of Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards, who was briefly knocked unconscious by the force of his charge.
Ryan Samsel and four codefendants, who arrived at the thinly guarded barricades surrounding Capitol grounds even before Donald Trump concluded an address to supporters down the street, were each convicted of participating in the “civil disorder” wrought by the mob and of assaulting one of several police officers who guarded that first line.
U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb issued the verdict three months after presiding over a bench trial of the five men, who also included James Grant, Stephen Randolph, Paul Johnson and Jason Blythe. Samsel, Grant and........
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