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October 14, 2022 - WASHINGTON – A New Jersey man, a member of the Proud Boys, pleaded guilty today to a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Shawn Price, 28, of Rockaway Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Price was a member of the Proud Boys and served as vice president of his local chapter. The Proud Boys describe themselves as members of a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” According to the documents, Price traveled to Washington with 10-12 other members of the chapter. He and four or five of these associates then illegally entered the restricted area of the Capitol grounds. Price filmed the scene of a confrontation with law enforcement officers taking place on the Lower West Terrace, using profanities as he screamed at the officers.
At one point, as a crowd of rioters was ascending the stairs after breaching the line of law enforcement officers, Price said, “Let’s go … let’s go …. Let’s go!” and “They thought we couldn’t do it, they wanted to hold us back, now look at this s----.” After officers sprayed a chemical irritant in hopes of controlling the mob, Price continued shouting profanities.
At another point, while on the Lower West Terrace, Price put on a pair of goggles. Sometime between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m., he and several of his Proud Boys associates pushed with a larger group of rioters into a line of law enforcement officers that was attempting to hold crowd-control barriers in place. The officers who were being pushed were attempting to aid a smaller group of officers on the scene but were unable to reach them because of the crowd’s actions.
Price was arrested on June 8, 2021. He is to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2023. He faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Jersey, the Middle District of Florida, and the Western District of Washington.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Newark and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 21 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 880 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
