FL Man Found Guilty Of Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Riot Charge: U.S. DOJ

CLEARWATER, FL — A Florida man was found guilty of obstruction of law enforcement, a felony, during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

James Brett IV, 50, of Clearwater was part of the mob that stormed the Capitol building during the U.S. Congress county of electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.

In addition to the felony conviction, Brett previously pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly conduct in the Capitol grounds or building, the DOJ said.

His sentencing will take place March 27.

On the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Brett gathered with a large group near the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., around 10 a.m. and marched toward the U.S. Capitol building, bypassing the planned rally at the Ellipse.

He was positioned at the front among the crowd with a few group members from the Tampa area.

By around 11:20 a.m., the group arrived at the Capitol's west front, passing "Area Closed" signs and barriers. Two of the group leaders used a megaphone to share “provocative statements,” the DOJ said.

As the group continued to the east side of the Capitol, several members near Brett taunted U.S. Capitol police officers. The group returned to the west side of the Capitol around 12:50 p.m., converging at Peace Circle.

A few minutes later, rioters breached the restricted area for the first time, toppling barricades at Peace Circle and enabling the mob, including Brett, to advance.

Brett and his co-defendants surged forward, joining others in overwhelming police lines and entering the restricted grounds, the DOJ said.

Just before 1 p.m., he reached a barricade on the Lower West Plaza, where rioters pushed past law enforcement. Brett joined the toppling of a permanent barricade before jumping over and helping others cross.

He then advanced with the mob to the West Plaza, where violent clashes happened between rioters and police over the next 90 minutes, the DOJ said. The scene involved pepper spray, tear gas, improvised weapons and other physical confrontations.

Despite the escalating chaos, Brett stayed close to his co-defendants, witnessing direct assaults on police. Just after 1 p.m., he was in proximity as rioters attacked officers and faced tear gas and chemical sprays from police.

The mob overwhelmed police lines, forcing officers to retreat into a narrow tunnel on the Lower West Terrace leading to the Capitol building around 2:30 p.m.

Rioters, including Brett at 3:15 p.m., followed police into the tunnel, where “some of the day's most violent assaults occurred,” the DOJ said.

Officers inside the tunnel acted as the last line of defense against entry into the Capitol. Within minutes, they mounted an effort to clear the tunnel, forcing Brett and others out.

Brett then lingered near the tunnel's entrance until an officer pushed him away. As he descended the stairs, Brett passed close to two police officers who had been violently dragged into the crowd by rioters. Shortly after that, he left the area.