1 Year Later: Bucks County Has Highest Number Of Capitol Riot Arrests Nationwide

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The reverberations of an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — in which a mob stormed the building and temporarily interfered with Congress’ certification of Joseph Biden as the next president — are still being felt around the country and close to home one year later.

Bucks County had the highest number of arrests in the incident of any county nationwide. Of the more than 700 people charged, six were confirmed Bucks County residents: they have been accused of violations from carrying metal knuckles to assaulting a police officer.

The rally hosted by former President Donald Trump appeared to have quite a contingent of Bucks County support, beyond those arrested. A Newtown business owner and the founder of the People 4 Trump organization, Jim Worthington, organized a bus trip of nearly 200 people to attend.

That rally would turn into the riot in which five people died; Worthington told WHYY that while the rally before the riots was “the most patriotic event I’ve ever heard of,” he did not count himself among the “knuckleheads” who stormed the Capitol. This conflict has characterized some of the discourse around the riots in the following year, including Worthington's defamation lawsuit over a subsequent petition to boycott his business.

In the time since the riots, researchers have also noted that, while some participants were tied to radical or extremist groups, many were, to borrow a phrase from The Atlantic, "more 'normal' Trump supporters": "middle-class and, in many cases, middle-aged people without obvious ties to the far right."

But extreme rhetoric, qualified as racist, transphobic, xenophobic, and more, has also proliferated throughout Bucks County communities in the past year, popping up at school board meetings and other places where it previously may not have been.

In the time since Jan. 6, 2021, here's what we know about the Bucks County residents who have faced charges in connection with the Capitol insurrection.

Officer Assault

Bristol resident Ryan Stephen Samsel, 37, was accused of assaulting a Capitol police officer by pushing a barricade that knocked her to the ground, where she hit her head. She was later diagnosed with a concussion.

After his arrest and holding in D.C., Samsel came into the spotlight for a series of violent prior convictions.

Prosecutors said that in 2009 he was convicted of simple assault and reckless endangerment after he held a victim against her will for five hours, choking her to the point of unconsciousness, pushing her, beating her, and chipping her teeth; in 2011 he was convicted of several counts in a case where he was said to have smashed a hot pizza on a woman's face, beat her, poured a beer over her head, threw her into a canal, and held her head under the water.

"[The other convictions] show a pattern of Samsel choking and beating women to the point of loss of consciousness, of many hospital visits for many victims, of chipped and missing teeth, and of Samsel even breaking into one victim's home multiple times to assault her," a filing by federal prosecutors reads.

Samsel pleaded not guilty to charges in the Capitol riot which say he: forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, or interfered with a federal agent while they are engaged in their official duties; committed or attempted to commit any act to obstruct, impede, or interfere with any fireman or law enforcement officer lawfully engage in the lawful performance of his official duties; and obstructed, influenced, or impeded any official proceeding, or attempt to do so. He was indicted on these charges by a grand jury.

According to NPR's records of the arrests, Samsel's girlfriend Raechel Genco, also 37, of Levittown, was identified with him. The FBI said that photos show her in Washington with her boyfriend, and though he told the FBI that she did not pass any barriers, the bureau said photos place her in the restricted parts of the capitol.

A charge of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority was filed against Genco.

Young Graduate Gets Prison Time

Neshaminy High School graduate Leonard Pearso Ridge, 20, pleaded guilty in October to entering the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. with a mob of people.

Ridge had shared videos on Snapchat of him entering the Capitol, and texted friends about the ordeal. The FBI used these records as evidence in the case against him.

He was sentenced on Tuesday to 14 days in prison, as well as 100 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine that will go toward the damages rioters caused last year.

Tracks Left On Social Media

The scope of one resident's involvement, 68-year-old Gary Edwards of Churchville, came out in a now-deleted Facebook post from his wife, who was defending his actions in entering the Capitol. The justice department said that Edwards took pictures inside the building, assisted protesters who had been tear gassed, and walked around the halls, even calling his wife from the rotunda.

Edwards has been sentenced to one year of probation, a $2,500 fine, $500 restitution, and 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a charge of parading, demonstrating, and picketing in a Capitol building.

Dawn Bancroft, 58, a Doylestown resident and the owner of Cross Fit Sine-Pari, apparently filmed a video and sent it to one of her friends in which she said: "We broke into the Capitol … We got inside. We did our part. We were looking for Nancy [Pelosi] to shoot her in the friggin' brain, but we didn't find her."

Friend Diana Santos-Smith, whose town of residence is not known to Patch, was also shown alongside Bancroft climbing through a broken window into the building. She initially denied this, but would reverse her position when shown the footage. Both Santos-Smith and Bancroft pleaded guilty to the charge of parading, demonstrating, and picketing in a Capitol building; other charges initially filed against them were dismissed.

Their sentencings are set for Jan. 25; they could reportedly face up to six months in prison.

Possession Of A Weapon

James Sinclair, 38, of Bensalem, was arrested for smoking outside after the imposed curfew on Jan. 6, at which point he was found to have black metal knuckles. While he did not face federal charges, he was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon.

According to NPR's database, Sinclair entered into a diversion agreement with prosecutors on June 9 which stipulates that he must stay away from Washington, D.C., except to meet with his attorney or pretrial services, and must not violate the law.

If Sinclair abides by that agreement for six months, the charge will be dismissed.

The Anniversary

Five people died before, during, or after the mob: Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, Air Force veteran and rioter Ashli Babbitt, rally attendee Kevin Greeson, aspiring substance-abuse counselor and rally attendee Rosanne Boyland, and rally attendee Benjamin Philips.

Over the past year, at least 60 Pennsylvania residents were charged for some form of involvement in the Capitol riots. As of Wednesday, just six of those residents had been sentenced, according to PennLive.

Federal law enforcement authorities have expressed concern that some could take Thursday's one-year anniversary as an opportunity to conduct violence against lawmakers, the government, or state and national capitols.

Related: Jan. 6 Insurrection Anniversary May Draw 'Threat Actors': Feds

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