Image by Richard Burton from Pixabay 

Defendant Pushed Police Line, Grabbed Officer’s Riot Shield 

August 22, 2023 - WASHINGTON – A Baltimore man was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on a felony charge related to 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.

Narayana Rheiner, 42, of Baltimore, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to 15 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. Rheiner pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder on Nov. 4, 2022.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Rheiner was part of a mob illegally massed on the Upper West Plaza of the Capitol. Law enforcement officers there were maintaining a police line to prevent the mob from advancing further. At approximately 2:04 p.m., Rheiner went to the front of the mob, and waved other rioters to come forward, yelling at them to “push up” against the police line. He pushed against officers and grabbed an officer’s riot shield. He pulled the riot shield out of the officer’s hands, causing the officer to fall down several stairs onto the ground.

At approximately 2:44 p.m., Rheiner entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace door. He and other rioters proceeded to the Rotunda area and joined a group that was yelling at officers and attempting to gain access to a hallway that was blocked by officers. Officers deployed chemical irritants to disperse the rioters and Rheiner yelled at them, “You know how many times I’ve been sprayed today? That s--- ain’t nothing!” He also yelled, “Why don’t you just go home!”  Rheiner stood within inches of an officer and said “We’re not backing up!”  When another officer said, “this is not the right way,” Rheiner responded “It is the right way. We got to send a message.” Rheiner ultimately left the Capitol building through a broken window at about 2:57 p.m.

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 District of Maryland.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Rheiner as #384 in its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

In the 31 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,106 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.