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June 23, 2023 - WASHINGTON – A father and son were sentenced to prison today for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their 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.
Jason Douglas Owens, 50, and his son, Grady Douglas Owens, 22, both of Blanco, Texas, were each sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell. Grady Owens was sentenced to 37 months in prison, two years of supervised release, restitution of $2000, $110 special assessment, and a $1,000 fine. Jason Owens was sentenced to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of $2000, $100 special assessment, and a $2,000 fine. Grady Owens also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and was sentenced to 6 months in prison concurrent to his 37-month sentence.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Jason and Grady Owens illegally entered the west lawn area of the Capitol grounds. Court records state that, at about 2:00 P.M., a group of officers walked through the crowd of rioters on their way to the lower west terrace, and as the officers attempted to get by, Grady Owens turned, raised a skateboard in the air, and struck an officer on the side of his body.
Around the same time, court documents say that Jason Owens shoved an officer in the face hard enough for the officer’s head to snap back. A skirmish then erupted between other officers and rioters, resulting in additional assaults on other officers.
While on the west side, Grady Owens made several video recordings of his time on Capitol grounds and made statements such as, “We will not concede,” and “You can’t stop us.”
The two men then made their way to the east side of the Capitol, joining a crowd that attempted to push their way into the east rotunda doors without success at approximately 3:28 P.M. According to court documents, Jason Owens skirmished with another officer near the doors by grabbing his baton and fighting over it.
Jason Owens was arrested on April 16, 2021, in Austin, Texas, and Grady Owens was arrested on April 1, 2021, in Winter Park, 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 Offices for the Western District of Texas and the Middle District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Grady Owens as #109 on its seeking information photos, and the FBI’s San Antonio and Tampa Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 29 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 350 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.
Source: DOJ Release
