A Texas man has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He had previously been convicted of felony and misdemeanor offenses stemming from his conduct during the incident. The breach disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress, which had been convened to certify and tally the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.
Jeffrey David Reed, a resident of Rosanky, Texas, has been sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to 30 months in prison. In addition to the prison term, Reed will also serve 24 months of supervised release and has been ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Reed, a proud member of the Proud Boys’ Hudson Valley chapter in New York, has previously been convicted of a felony offense of civil disorder and several misdemeanor offenses. These include entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
During the trial, it was revealed that Reed, a member of the Hudson Valley chapter of the Proud Boys in New York, actively took part in the events that occurred on January 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Reed was part of the organized efforts by the group and played a role in breaking through metal bike rack barriers, snow fencing with “Area Closed” signs, and pushing through a line of officers at the initial breach of the restricted perimeter near the Peace Circle.
As the crowd grew in numbers, police officers found themselves overwhelmed and forced to retreat up the Pennsylvania Walkway towards the Capitol. They regrouped and formed a second line of defense between the rioters and the Capitol building. Meanwhile, at the front of the mob, Reed boldly approached the next set of barricades made of metal bike racks. With determination, he grabbed hold of one and cleared a path for thousands of rioters, allowing them to push forward towards the Capitol. The outnumbered police officers, unable to handle the advancing mob, were left with no choice but to retreat to the West Plaza.
Reed pressed forward towards the Capitol, encountering a third police line comprised of officers positioned behind a metal railing that was part of the construction for the Inaugural Stage. Positioned at the front of the crowd, Reed found himself face to face with officers, shouting and gesturing at them. Despite the authorities’ attempt to maintain the line for over an hour, they were eventually overwhelmed. Empowered by their sheer numbers, the mob surged forward once again, overpowering the police and advancing onto the Capitol’s West Plaza. In an effort to prevent the crowd from accessing a crucial entry point, the Southwest staircase, Reed physically grabbed hold of a metal bike rack with both hands, using his body weight to try and wrest it away from a police officer. This struggle resulted in an officer falling to the ground. Reed, along with the rest of the crowd, then stormed the Southwest staircase and the Inaugural Stage before breaching the Capitol building itself.
Reed entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing Door at approximately 2:26 p.m. Despite the broken glass and chaos, he managed to make his way to the Speaker’s Lobby, located just outside the House Chamber. After spending about 16 minutes inside, Reed exited the Capitol through the East Rotunda Door at around 2:49 p.m. However, instead of leaving the premises, he remained in the restricted area on the East front of the Capitol. During this time, Reed climbed on top of law enforcement vehicles and proceeded to rip up a “Police Lives Matter” flag on the East steps of the Capitol.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section handled the prosecution of this case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas also provided valuable assistance.
The FBI’s San Antonio and Washington Field Offices, along with the New York Field Office, conducted an investigation into this case. The United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.
In the span of 47 months since January 6, 2021, law enforcement has charged over 1,572 individuals across almost all 50 states for their involvement in the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Among these charges, more than 590 individuals have been accused of felonies, specifically assaulting or impeding law enforcement. It is important to note that the investigation is still ongoing.
If you have any tips or information, please don’t hesitate to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit your tips online at tips.fbi.gov. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.