Image by Richard Burton from Pixabay
June 11, 2024 - WASHINGTON - A man and woman from Virginia were convicted on June 10, 2024, of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. 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.
A federal jury in the District of Columbia found Casey Jane Tryon-Castro, 34, of Roanoke, Virginia, and Micaiah Joseph, 33, of Triangle, Virginia, guilty of multiple felony and misdemeanor offenses related to their conduct during the breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Tryon-Castro was found guilty of four felonies, including civil disorder, robbery, and two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In addition to the felonies, Tryon-Castro was also found guilty of four misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings.
Joseph was found guilty of two felonies, including civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In addition to the felonies, Joseph was convicted of four misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras will sentence the two at a later date to be determined.
According to court documents, Tryon-Castro and Joseph were among a mob of rioters that engaged in physical confrontation with law enforcement officers near an entrance to the U.S. Capitol on the Lower West Terrace known as the “Tunnel.” The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th. For over two and a half hours, law enforcement defended the Tunnel against rioters who pushed against them, struck them, stole their riot shields, sprayed them with chemical irritants, and otherwise fought against them to gain access to the U.S. Capitol. Tryon-Castro and Joseph each participated in the siege against law enforcement at the Tunnel, including by pushing against officers and assisting other rioters to push against the officers.
Specifically, Tryon-Castro fought against law enforcement in the Tunnel for approximately 30 minutes, from 2:43 p.m. to 3:18 p.m. She entered and exited the Tunnel at least three times and pushed her way to the front of the police line. At the front line, Tryon-Castro pushed against police and assisted and directed other rioters in their efforts. Additionally, she forcibly pulled a police riot shield out of the hands of an officer and handed it to other rioters.
Joseph, who wore a tricorn-style hat, gas mask, and body armor, entered the Tunnel at approximately 3:00 p.m. and moved through the crowd toward the police line. Joseph pushed his way to the front of the police line and, after standing in front of police for some time, joined rioters in pushing against police—using a nearby set of doors to leverage his weight against an officer line. Joseph then moved to the entrance of the Tunnel, and, on his way out, handed his gas mask to another rioter who immediately entered the melee to push against the police. After standing at the entrance of the Tunnel, Joseph turned back inside to engage in another heave-ho effort against the police line. Joseph ultimately exited the Tunnel at approximately 3:13 p.m.
The FBI arrested Tryon-Castro on Jan. 17, 2023, and Joseph on Jan. 18, 2023, both in Virginia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting these cases. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western and Eastern Districts of Virginia provided valuable assistance.
These cases were investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 41 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,450 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 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
