WASHINGTON – Adrian Schmidt, a 26-year-old resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to a felony charge of civil disorder related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The breach disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to certify the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.
Schmidt entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes. The sentencing for Schmidt is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Court documents revealed that Schmidt traveled from Cincinnati to Washington, D.C., to attend the rally held by the former President on the National Mall. Around 12:50 p.m., Schmidt joined a group of rioters pushing against barricades manned by U.S. Capitol Police officers near the Peace Circle Monument. The force exerted by the rioters led to the breach of the outer perimeter of the Capitol.
After breaching the barricades, Schmidt surged towards the Capitol alongside the mob of rioters. He climbed atop a small wall and shouted slogans like “Our House!” and “Whose House?” before moving to the front of the mob gathered near a black metal fence on the West Plaza. Schmidt jumped over the fencing as the mob advanced towards a line of USCP officers.
Schmidt continued to confront the officers on the West Plaza, chanting slogans and obstructing their efforts. He pushed backward against police officers and their riot shields multiple times during the confrontation.
Later, Schmidt entered the Capitol building via the Upper West Terrace Doors at around 2:45 p.m. with his fist raised in the air. He roamed through the Rotunda and entered Statuary Hall before exiting the Capitol through the East Foyer Doors at approximately 2:51 p.m. Schmidt reentered the building through the same doors around 3:15 p.m. and remained there until officers forced him out around 3:30 p.m.
Schmidt was arrested by the FBI on July 28, 2023, in Ohio. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, along with the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati and Washington Field Offices, with support from the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Since January 6, 2021, over 1,424 individuals have been charged across nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
