Image by Richard Burton from Pixabay 

November 13, 2023 - WASHINGTON — A New Jersey man has been arrested on felony assault charges for acts committed 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.

            Gregory C. Yetman, 47, of Helmetta, New Jersey, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. In addition to the felonies, Yetman is charged with misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

            Yetman, a former New Jersey Army National Guard police officer, was arrested on Nov. 10, 2023, in New Jersey, following a two-day search by law enforcement authorities after he evaded arrest. Yetman made his initial appearance today in the District of New Jersey. Yetman remains detained.  

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Yetman picked up a canister of OC Pepper Spray and sprayed it at police officers defending the U.S. Capitol building for about 14 seconds. Yetman had gone to Washington, D.C., that day to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse. After the rally, wearing a green and black jacket and a neck gaiter, Yetman proceeded to the Capitol building, where he joined the mob.

            At approximately 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, Yetman found a spray canister containing chemical irritant on the ground, snatched it up, and, with his gaiter covering the lower portion of his face, pointed the canister at police officers and pulled the trigger, sending a long stream of OC pepper spray in the direction of multiple law enforcement officers. Yetman then discarded the canister and walked back to the wall behind him.

            Additional photographs and video stills captured images of Yetman walking around other areas within the restricted perimeter of the U.S. Capitol grounds, including the Lower West Terrace near the Tunnel entrance.

            In a series of social media posts, Yetman blamed the January 6^th violence on a “small faction that entered the Capitol and attacked officers” and attributed the chaos to Black Lives Matter activists and “a plethora of idiots from various groups and political parties.”  

            This case is being 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 New Jersey.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Newark Division and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Yetman as BOLO AFO-278 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 34 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,200 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.

            A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.