A Chicago man is facing criminal charges for his role in the January 6th protest-turned-riot on Capitol Hill. He is facing federal charges, including assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, destruction of government property, and civil disorder.
Thus far, over 950 have faced charges related to January 6th. Arrestees hail from all 50 states. This individual earned the online handle “RailMixer” after he used a broken piece of metal railing to ram the doors of the Capitol.
The defendant can be seen on video swinging a metal railing or bicycle rack to bring down the doors of the Capitol. He is also seen swinging his arms at police officers. The man won some acclaim from the internet for his conduct that day, and his image was circulated along with the tag “railmixer.” Eventually, these images made their way to the FBI website, where they were requesting information on the January 6th rioters. The FBI began interviewing associates of the eventual defendant, and through an attorney, the defendant reached out to the FBI.
What is clear is that individuals who want some acclaim for their conduct that day will pay for it in criminal fines and prison time. This defendant will have to explain why he assaulted and battered a federal officer and trespassed on government property with the intent to intimidate the politicians therein.
Analyzing the Prosecution
Prosecutors are currently running down all of the video evidence they have been able to acquire from sources that posted the event online, erroneously believing that what they were doing what going to be well-received by the whole of society. In most cases, it appears unlikely that the January 6th rioters understood that what they were doing constituted a crime. Now, of course, with the federal government filing criminal charges against the rioters, posting information that could lead to your arrest would be less likely, right?
The more acclaim you seek for the role you played on January 6th, the more likely the government will target you. Right now, they’ve filed charges against nearly a thousand people, and every day, they are looking for more. Some of these cases have already settled. While people who were just there are not likely to receive prison time, those who entered the Capitol, destroyed property, or attacked officers will. Those who organized the protest are likely to be made examples of by law enforcement.
Thus far, the longest sentence given to a January 6th rioter was 10 years. The defendant was a former NYPD officer who blamed Donald Trump’s rhetoric for convincing him that the election had been stolen. The Trump Defense did not work in New York, however, and is unlikely to work in Illinois. There may be no state in which the defense proves useful.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Today
“The Donald made me do it” is not a defense to attacking a police officer. For a real defense, call David Freidberg today at (312) 560-7100 and we can begin discussing your options immediately.