Image by Richard Burton from Pixabay
August 8, 2024 - WASHINGTON— A Texas man was sentenced to prison today after he previously pleaded guilty to multiple felonies and misdemeanor offenses related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. 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.
David Rene Arredondo, 48, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced to 33 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth.
Arredondo pleaded guilty on January 3, 2024, to eight counts, including felony charges of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In addition to the felonies, Arredondo pleaded guilty to six 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, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
According to court documents, open-source images, videos, and U.S. Capitol surveillance footage depict Arredondo inside and around the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Arredondo traveled with others from his home in El Paso, Texas, to Washington, D.C., and stayed in the Capitol Hill area.
Video footage from outside the Capitol building on January 6th depicts Arredondo pulling bike rack fencing away from a perimeter line, and physically pushing bike rack fencing against officers attempting to keep the crowd from entering the East Plaza. Video footage also depicts Arredondo making physical contact with a police officer who was attempting to stop rioters from entering through the Capitol building doors. In the video, Arredondo can be seen grabbing and pulling the arm of a police officer who was surrounded by a mob of rioters. A different police officer can be seen being pulled away by the mob and falling to the ground.
Additional video footage taken from inside the Capitol building depicts Arredondo entering via the East Rotunda Doors and remaining inside for nearly 35 minutes.
FBI agents arrested Arredondo on October 26, 2022, in El Paso.
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 Western District of Texas.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s El Paso Field Office and the West Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, HSI El Paso, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 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
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