The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced that Ryan K. Yates, 37, of Holiday, Florida, was sentenced to six months in prison, three months in home detention, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden.
Yates pleaded guilty to a felony charge stemming from his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Yates entered the restricted area around the United States Capitol building and pushed away barricades that had been set up to block protesters. He entered the building at approximately 2:17 p.m. through the Senate Wing Doors.
Yates then made his way down the Statuary Hall Connector and to the House side of the building, where he stood near a group of rioters as they tried to break into the House floor. Yates also traveled to the Capitol Rotunda and Crypt. Around 3:20 p.m., Yates went to the interior Rotunda door, which connects the Rotunda to the east entrance of the Capitol.
As a group rushed from the outside to get into the Rotunda, Yates joined in the effort. Yates began to pump his fist as a crowd streamed into the Capitol and joined as the group surged forward. He worked his way to the front of the group and, along with a handful of other rioters, pushed against police to enter the Rotunda itself before officers were able to close the door. Inside the Rotunda, surrounded by police, Yates was escorted out of the building with his arms raised. Afterward, Yates remained on the Capitol grounds, within the restricted area.
The FBI arrested Yates on Sept. 26, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.
This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Tampa and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
