Category: MIL-OSI

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment today charging an Anchorage man with allegedly attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

According to court documents, Peter Joseph Hickel Jr., 33, was arrested on July 25 near Sunset Park in Anchorage after communicating with and attempting to meet an individual that he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.

Hickel is charged with attempted production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251(a), attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2422(b), and possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251A(a)(5). If convicted, Hickel faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska; and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. If anyone has any information concerning Hickel’s alleged actions or may have encountered him in person, via text message or on an online messaging app, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously online at tips.fbi.gov.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Two Arizona men were arrested over the last three weeks on warrants from a federal indictment charging them with trafficking fentanyl to Alaska.

According to court proceedings, a federal grand jury returned an indictment on July 18 charging Odarious Shaw, 24, and Corrion James, 25, with allegedly distributing large amounts of fentanyl to Alaska from their home state of Arizona over a four-month period. James was arrested at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport when he arrived carrying a package of 40,000 fentanyl pills, and Shaw was arrested in Arizona.

James and Shaw are charged with one count conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in violation of 21 U.S.C. §846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and one count possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A). If convicted, Shaw faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska; Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit Commander Captain Cornelius Sims of the Alaska State Troopers; and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

The Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department and the FBI are investigating the case as part of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Alaska High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Schroeder is prosecuting the case.

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

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A man was arrested early Saturday morning in Anchorage on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement with attempted enticement of a minor, attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography depicting a minor under 12 years of age.

According to court documents, Benjamin Roundy, aka “Aleks” or “Alekzander Marko”, 41, of Anchorage, attempted to produce child pornography and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit actions through communications on a messaging app and text messages. He is also charged with allegedly possessing child pornography on his cell phone.

Roundy is charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2422(b), attempted production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251(a), and possession of child pornography depicting minors who have not attained 12 years of age in violation with 18 U.S.C. §2252A(a)(5)(b) and (7)(b)(2). If convicted, Roundy faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum life term in prison following conviction on all counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska; and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is actively investigating the case. If anyone has any information concerning Roundy’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone using the name “Aleks” in person, via text message or on an online messaging app, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously online at tips.fbi.gov.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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

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Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Representative John Rogers has been indicted by a federal grand jury for obstruction of justice, and tax charges have been added against his assistant, in a superseding indictment in the case involving schemes to defraud the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman.

A 25-count superseding indictment filed this week in United States District Court charges Varrie Johnson Kindall, 58, of Chelsea, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of mail fraud, 1 count of money laundering, and 4 tax related charges. Additionally, the superseding indictment charges John Rogers, 82, and Kindall with 2 counts of obstruction of justice. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. In June, former Representative Fred L. Plump, Jr., pleaded guilty to conspiring with Kindall and resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives.

According to the superseding indictment, in 2015 the Alabama Legislature passed Alabama Act No. 2015-226 (the “Act”) and authorized the Jefferson County Commission to levy and distribute a one percent sales tax and a one percent use tax to benefit the public welfare and enhance the education of the children of Jefferson County. Jefferson County began levying the new taxes in or about August 2017. The Act required the County to distribute the tax revenue according to certain specified priorities, including paying debt incurred during school construction, increasing the County’s general fund, giving funds to each board of education serving students in the County, and for certain other purposes set forth in the Act.

The Act created the Jefferson County Community Service Fund (the “Fund”), which was subsidized by approximately $3.6 million annually from the new taxes. The Act also created the Jefferson County Community Service Committee (the “Committee”), the four members of which were elected by members of the Jefferson County House and Senate delegations. The Committee was responsible for ensuring that the Fund was used only for the purposes set forth in the Act, which included to support public entities and projects such as schools, libraries, museums, parks, zoos, neighborhood associations, athletic facilities, youth sports associations, road construction, the performing arts, police departments, the sheriff’s office, fire departments, and certain nonprofit entities. Each Representative and Senator representing Jefferson County could make recommendations to the Committee of expenditures from their allotted amount of the Fund. These recommendations were made on a form created by the Committee that required certain certifications by the legislator. The organization receiving the funds was required to submit information about the organization and confirm that it intended to use the money for a public purpose. During each fiscal year from 2018 to 2022, each Representative was allocated approximately $100,000 and each Senator was allocated approximately $240,000 from the Fund.

The superseding indictment identifies certain relevant parties. Representative John Rogers was a long-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Fred L. Plump, Jr. served as the Executive Director of the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League (“Piper Davis”), a nonprofit organization that claimed to provide a positive sporting experience for inner city youth in Jefferson County. Defendant Varrie Johnson Kindall was Rogers’ personal and professional assistant. Individual #1 was the Founder of Organization #1.

Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, Representative Rogers was allocated approximately $500,000 by the Fund. Rogers directed approximately $400,000 of those discretionary funds to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump gave approximately $200,000 to Kindall.

The superseding indictment alleges that from in or about March 2019, and continuing through April 2023, Kindall conspired with Plump and others to defraud and obtain money from the Fund. It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracy that Rogers, with Kindall’s assistance, recommended during each fiscal year that most of his allotment of Fund money be paid to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump agreed to pay kickbacks to Kindall. Plump and Kindall submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’ intended use of Fund money. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Kindall for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis. On one occasion, it is alleged, Kindall engaged in money laundering by moving a large sum of illegally obtained money between bank accounts.

Additionally, the superseding indictment alleges that, in 2019, Kindall committed wire fraud by assisting Rogers in directing Fund money to another entity, identified as Organization #1, and then requiring Individual #1 to pay kickbacks to her.

The superseding indictment alleges further that, after learning about the federal investigation into the fraud scheme, Rogers and Kindall attempted to obstruct justice by offering Individual #1 additional grant money as a bribe and otherwise trying to corruptly persuade Individual #1 to give false information to federal agents.

The superseding indictment adds 4 counts alleging that Kindall did not file a tax return for 2019 despite receiving substantial income and aided the filing of false tax returns for 2020-2022.

The maximum penalty for the conspiracy and substantive fraud counts is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for money laundering is ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice by bribery is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for failing to file a tax return is 1 year in prison and a $25,000 fine. The maximum penalty for aiding the filing of a false tax return is 3 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Catherine Crosby are prosecuting the case.

An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  

Source: US FBI

A former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) lieutenant pleaded guilty today to using excessive force on an inmate and lying afterwards in an official report to cover up his abuse.

According to the plea agreement, former William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility Lieutenant and Shift Commander Mohammad Shahid Jenkins, who had more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement, used excessive force on inmate V.R. Specifically, on Feb. 16, 2022, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate V.R. of his right to be free from excessive force by kicking him, hitting him, spraying him with chemical spray, striking him with a can of chemical spray and striking him with a shoe, while V.R. was restrained inside of a holding cell and not posing a threat. Jenkins admitted that, over the course of approximately five minutes and outside the presence of other officers and inmates, Jenkins repeatedly re-entered the holding cell that V.R. was in and re-assaulted him numerous times. Jenkins used a dangerous weapon — chemical spray and the can of chemical spray — on V.R. and his attacks on V.R. caused V.R. to suffer bodily injury. Following his assault on V.R., Jenkins authored a false incident report. In it, he gave a false account of where, in Donaldson, he transported V.R. to and he omitted entirely his use of force on V.R. from his report. As part of the factual basis, Jenkins further admitted that he lied to investigators by denying using any force on V.R.

Further, as part of the factual basis, Jenkins admitted to using force on another inmate on a different occasion at Donaldson. Specifically, on Nov. 29, 2021, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate D.H. of his right to be free from excessive force by repeatedly spraying D.H. with chemical spray while D.H. was handcuffed behind his back and compliant, by hitting D.H. in the head with the can of chemical spray and by delivering an open-hand strike to D.H.’s head while D.H. was suffering from the effects of chemical spray.

“Senior law enforcement officers set the tone for junior officers whom they supervise,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant abused his position of power to carry out a violent assault on a restrained inmate, in an isolated location of the prison. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who violate the civil rights of any American, including those who are incarcerated in our jails and prisons.”

“There is zero tolerance for corrections officers who commit these egregious crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute and bring to justice those who abuse their authority and prey on vulnerable people who they are sworn to protect and keep safe.”

“The civil rights of all must be protected, including those who are in the trusted custody of law enforcement officials,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “To willfully deprive any individual without due process or subject the same to cruel and unusual punishment can’t be tolerated or perceived to be so commonplace it’s considered normal inside of our institutions. The FBI will remain committed to holding those who swore an oath to protect and serve, but instead willfully abused their privileges and abandon their responsibilities as law enforcement officers, accountable.”   

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19. Jenkins faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the excessive force charge related to his assault of V.R. and 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge. He also faces up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney George Martin for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a convicted felon for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced David Mitchell, IV, aka “Luh Mexico”, 27, of Birmingham, to 33 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

According to court documents, on December 28, 2022, Birmingham Police officers were patrolling the area of Norwood Bottoms. Officers observed a black Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT running, with music playing loudly, and unoccupied. As officers were looking at the Jeep, Mitchell approached yelling at them. Officers recognized Mitchell and knew he had an active felony warrant. Officers took Mitchell into custody for the warrant. Officers conducted a pat down of Mitchell and found a Glock 9mm pistol in his waistband. The pistol had been reported stolen with Alabaster Police Department, and it was loaded with fifteen rounds of 9mm ammunition. Officers found the key to the Jeep in Mitchell’s back pocket and $4,398 cash in his pocket. After running the tag on the Jeep, officers discovered that the tag was not registered to the Jeep. The Jeep had been reported stolen with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. Officers obtained a search warrant for the Jeep.  Upon searching the vehicle, officers found a blue duffle bag containing marijuana, an iPhone, hydrocodone pills and two high-capacity Glock magazines.

FBI investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A father and daughter have been charged with devising a scheme to misuse CARES Act funds, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

An information filed yesterday in United States District Court charges Kenneth L. Phillips, 62, of Birmingham, and Danielle A. Phillips, 30, of Birmingham, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to the information, Kenneth Phillips, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, was the founder and CEO of Priority Soldier, Inc. (PSI).  His daughter, attorney Danielle Phillips, held various roles with PSI including Chief Operating Officer and in-house legal counsel. PSI’s stated mission is to strengthen military families by advocating, educating, and addressing critical issues affecting veterans and their families. 

The information alleges that in November 2020, the defendants submitted a fraudulent proposal to the State of Alabama requesting COVID-19 grant funding to operate an online program to assist veterans dealing with PTSD in coping with the then-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  The defendants received approximately $1.9 million dollars in funding, but rather than use the funds for their intended purpose, began transferring funds to their personal bank accounts. After paying themselves a combined salary of more than $400,000 during the one month the program operated, the defendants in January 2021 represented to the Alabama Department of Finance that PSI had spent all but $54,617.04, which they returned.  In reality, more than $1.4 million remined in the PSI bank account, which the defendants used to purchase personal items such as luxury sports cars, watches, and diamond jewelry for their own personal benefit. 

In conjunction with the charge, the government also filed a plea agreement with both Kenneth and Danielle Phillips. Both must appear before a judge to enter a guilty plea.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison. 

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan S. Rummage is prosecuting the case.

An information contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An assistant to Representative John Rogers has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with schemes to defraud the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman.

A 21-count indictment filed this week in United States District Court charges Varrie Johnson Kindall, 58, of Chelsea, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of mail fraud, 1 count of money laundering, and 2 counts of obstruction of justice. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. In June, former Representative Fred L. Plump, Jr., pleaded guilty to conspiring with Kindall and resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives.

According to the indictment, in 2015 the Alabama Legislature passed Alabama Act No. 2015-226 (the “Act”) and authorized the Jefferson County Commission to levy and distribute a one percent sales tax and a one percent use tax to benefit the public welfare and enhance the education of the children of Jefferson County. Jefferson County began levying the new taxes in or about August 2017. The Act required the County to distribute the tax revenue according to certain specified priorities, including paying debt incurred during school construction, increasing the County’s general fund, giving funds to each board of education serving students in the County, and for certain other purposes set forth in the Act.

The Act created the Jefferson County Community Service Fund (the “Fund”), which was subsidized by approximately $3.6 million annually from the new taxes. The Act also created the Jefferson County Community Service Committee (the “Committee”), the four members of which were elected by members of the Jefferson County House and Senate delegations. The Committee was responsible for ensuring that the Fund was used only for the purposes set forth in the Act, which included to support public entities and projects such as schools, libraries, museums, parks, zoos, neighborhood associations, athletic facilities, youth sports associations, road construction, the performing arts, police departments, the sheriff’s office, fire departments, and certain nonprofit entities. Each Representative and Senator representing Jefferson County could make recommendations to the Committee of expenditures from their allotted amount of the Fund. These recommendations were made on a form created by the Committee that required certain certifications by the legislator. The organization receiving the funds was required to submit information about the organization and confirm that it intended to use the money for a public purpose. During each fiscal year from 2018 to 2022, each Representative was allocated approximately $100,000 and each Senator was allocated approximately $240,000 from the Fund.

The indictment identifies certain relevant parties. Representative John Rogers was a long-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Fred L. Plump, Jr. served as the Executive Director of the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League (“Piper Davis”), a nonprofit organization that claimed to provide a positive sporting experience for inner city youth in Jefferson County. Defendant Varrie Johnson Kindall was Rogers’ personal and professional assistant. Individual #1 was the Founder of Organization #1.

Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, Representative Rogers was allocated approximately $500,000 by the Fund. Rogers directed approximately $400,000 of those discretionary funds to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump gave approximately $200,000 to defendant Kindall.

The indictment alleges that from in or about March 2019, and continuing through April 2023, Kindall conspired with Plump and others to defraud and obtain money from the Fund. It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracy that Rogers, with Kindall’s assistance, recommended during each fiscal year that most of his allotment of Fund money be paid to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump agreed to pay kickbacks to Kindall. Plump and Kindall submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’ intended use of Fund money. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Kindall for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis. On two occasions Kindall engaged in money laundering by moving large sums of illegally obtained money between bank accounts.

Additionally, the indictment alleges that, in 2019, Kindall committed wire fraud by assisting Rogers in directing Fund money to Organization #1 and then requiring Individual #1 to pay kickbacks to her. The indictment alleges further that, after learning about the federal investigation into the fraud scheme, Kindall attempted to obstruct justice by asking Individual #1 to give false information to federal agents and offering Individual #1 additional grant money as a bribe.

The maximum penalty for the conspiracy and substantive fraud counts is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for money laundering is ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice by bribery is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Catherine Crosby are prosecuting the case.

An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Last week, Eugene Douglas Reid, III, 48, of Vestavia, was convicted of distribution and transportation of child pornography, following a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor.  U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples made the announcement.

In 2020, FBI Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, was investigating numerous groups of individuals engaged in the receipt, possession, distribution and possible production of child sexual abuse material through a proactive operation. As part of the FBI’s Operation, online covert employees documented these illegal activities and forwarded the documentation for further investigation to the appropriate FBI field office. The evidence at trial established that Reid had distributed and transported numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material on the Kik messaging application in various private groups during the first half of 2020. 

The maximum penalty for distribution of child pornography and transportation of child pornography is 20 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years up to life.

The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of FBI Milwaukee Division, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, Vestavia Hills Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen S. Osborne and R. Leann White are prosecuting the case. 

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON – An Alabama man pleaded guilty today to 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.

            Kaleb Dillard, 27, of Columbia, Alabama, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, a felony offense. U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 27, 2023.  

            According to court documents, Dillard traveled from his home in Alabama to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. After the rally, Dillard made his way to the Capitol building and emerged at the front of the crowd gathered near the East Rotunda Doors. Here, court documents say that Dillard used a metal tool to smash a window of the doors.

            Court documents say that, at approximately 2:26 p.m., Dillard forced his way past officers attempting to close the doors and entered the Capitol building. Dillard then grabbed a U.S. Capitol police officer, who was attempting to close the doors, from behind and threw the officer to the ground.

            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 Northern District of Alabama.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Dillard as #166 on its seeking information photos, and the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office. Valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Mobile Field Office and the Charleston Resident Agency of the FBI’s Columbia Field Office, as well as the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 30 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,069 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.