A Woodland Park resident, Robert Gieswein, aged 26, admitted guilt on March 6 to a felony charge linked to his involvement in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Department of Justice disclosed his plea, emphasizing the disruption caused during a joint session of Congress convened to certify the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Gieswein pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. The sentencing hearing, presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden, is scheduled for June 9.
According to the Justice Department, on January 6, 2021, Gieswein, clad in a camouflage paramilitary ensemble and wielding a baseball bat, encountered a group of Proud Boys members in downtown Washington, D.C. He subsequently joined them and participated in a march towards the Capitol building. During the breach, Gieswein engaged in various acts of aggression, including spraying an aerosol irritant at U.S. Capitol Police officers and attempting to break through police lines guarding the Capitol.
The DOJ outlined Gieswein’s actions, indicating his involvement in spraying the irritant at officers, breaching a window adjacent to the Senate Wing Door, and engaging in physical altercations with law enforcement personnel. Despite attempts by officers to apprehend him, Gieswein managed to evade arrest.
The charges against Gieswein carry a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in prison, along with potential financial penalties. The FBI Denver Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office conducted the investigation, identifying Gieswein as a suspect through seeking information photos.
Additionally, Gieswein wore a patch for the Woodland Wild Dogs, a private paramilitary training group he operates in Teller County, on his tactical military-style vest during the events at the Capitol, as revealed by the affidavit.