October 7, 2024 – WASHINGTON – A Virginia man was found guilty on Friday of felony and misdemeanor charges 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.
Robert William DeGregoris, 33, of Aldie, Virginia, was found guilty of civil disorder, a felony, and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or building.
DeGregoris was convicted following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras. Judge Contreras will sentence DeGregoris on Feb. 7, 2025.
According to evidence presented during the trial, DeGregoris was identified in publicly available images and open-source video on the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol building near an area known as the “Tunnel.” The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th. There, DeGregoris can be seen in video footage climbing on the side of the entrance to the Tunnel and later near a line of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers at about 4:01 p.m.
DeGregoris then attempted to forcibly enter the Tunnel and can be seen on Capitol building closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage reaching toward the nearest MPD officer. At approximately 4:01 p.m., CCTV footage depicts DeGregoris possibly striking the helmet of the nearby officer. A few seconds later, DeGregoris was sprayed with Oleoresin Capsicum spray by a nearby officer. However, despite being sprayed, DeGregoris continued to push with other rioters against the MPD front line for several more minutes.
Evidence showed that at approximately 4:07 p.m., DeGregoris was turned with his back toward the front line of MPD officers as he pushed against the MPD line and a rioter next to him sprayed officers with pepper spray. Approximately 20 seconds later, DeGregoris can be seen assisting other rioters by helping to push a ladder toward the MPD officers.
After being sprayed with Oleoresin Capsicum and prior to departing the restricted area of the Capitol building grounds, DeGregoris posted a photograph of himself on social media accounts with the captioned statement “Took some pepper spray & tear gas breaching the front doors….Worth it."
The FBI arrested DeGregoris on Jan. 25, 2023, in Virginia.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The case is being 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 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Associated Documents:
DEGREGORIS - Complaint [PDF, 273 KB]
DEGREGORIS - Statement of facts [PDF, 2 MB]
Source & photos: DOJ Release
Related: Virginia Man Arrested on Felony Charge for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach
