Three years after protestors entered the U.S. Capitol to block a vote to confirm then- President-elect Joe Biden as the 47th U.S. President, another case ended with a guilty plea. A recent case involves John Anthony Schubert III, 47, of Bradenton, Florida. Below is an official statement from the US Attorney’s Office:
A Florida man pleaded guilty on Thursday, April 11, 2024, to assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
John Anthony Schubert III, 47, of Bradenton, Florida, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to a felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper will sentence Schubert on July 11, 2024.
According to court documents, at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, Schubert joined a large crowd that had gathered near the Peace Monument, located in the roundabout at Pennsylvania Avenue and 1st Street NW, an area known as the “Peace Circle” in Washington, D.C. This area was blocked by fencing and closed to the public on January 6th; however, the crowd of rioters, including Schubert, soon breached the established police barricades in this area and made their way to the West Plaza.
While on the West Plaza, Schubert joined a large group of rioters fighting a heavily outnumbered group of law enforcement officers struggling to prevent rioters from encroaching further toward the Capitol building. During the mele, Schubert put his left shoulder and arm on an officer and used his body weight to push that officer. Court documents say that Schubert also attempted to punch the officer and only retreated from the fighting when he was sprayed with a chemical irritant.
Schubert then made his way to the Upper West Terrace and, at approximately 2:21 p.m., entered the Capitol building by climbing through a broken window next to the Senate Wing Door. After entering, Schubert helped his parents climb through the same broken window. The group then made their way to various locations inside the Capitol, including the Rotunda and Statuary Hall. Schubert exited the Capitol at approximately 2:43 p.m. via the East Front House Door.
The FBI arrested Schubert on Oct. 4, 2023, in Bradenton.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida provided valuable assistance.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Tampa and Washington Field Offices, which identified Schubert as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #345 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 39 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,387 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 493 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
