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November 1, 2023 - WASHINGTON – A New Jersey man was sentenced today on 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.
Larry Fife Giberson, 22, of Manahawkin, New Jersey, was sentenced today to two months in prison and six months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols. Giberson pleaded guilty to one count of civil disorder on July 31, 2023.
According to court documents, on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Giberson and his mother drove from New Jersey to Washington, D.C., to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse and afterward headed to the Capitol building. Giberson, a Princeton University student, and New Jersey native, attended the rally after seeing the former President’s social media post calling for a protest in Washington, D.C., on January 6th. After arriving at the Capitol grounds, Giberson and his mother made their way to the West Front of the grounds and witnessed the police line in this area break. Together, they walked up a temporary staircase leading to the Inauguration Stage.
Giberson then separated from his mother and made his way to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. As Giberson moved toward the Tunnel, rioters outside were taking stolen police shields and passing them to other rioters positioned further inside the Tunnel at the front of the police line. At about 3:08 p.m., Giberson entered the Tunnel and made his way towards the police line. As he reached the front of the line of rioters in the Tunnel, Giberson and other rioters attempted to create a wall of stolen police shields against the line of police officers. At one point, Giberson turned to the rioters behind him and appeared to yell, “Another shield! Another shield!” Immediately thereafter, Giberson and his fellow rioters attempted to pull a shield away from the front line of police officers.
Giberson remained standing near the front for nearly two more minutes before retreating to the mouth of the Tunnel. At 3:15 p.m., as the crowd began to surge forward, Giberson began ushering other rioters into the Tunnel and towards the front of the police line. Court documents say that Giberson pushed at least ten other rioters into the Tunnel. After urging others forward, Giberson then returned inside the Tunnel, where he participated in coordinated pushing against the police. Giberson then left the Tunnel at 3:18 p.m.
According to court documents, after participating in a collective assault against law enforcement officers, observing the viciousness of the fighting inside the Tunnel, and witnessing the assault of a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer, Giberson did not leave the Capitol grounds. Instead, he remained outside the Tunnel for at least 40 more minutes. Court documents say that as a particularly violent individual was using a pole to stab at the line of police, Giberson attempted to start a chant, yelling “drag them out!” at least three times. The FBI arrested Giberson on March 14, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
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.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Newark Field Office and the Washington Field Office, which identified Giberson as #515 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Princeton Police Department, Princeton University Department of Public Safety, U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Source: DOJ Release
