A federal judge on Wednesday found a father with a Confederate flag and his adult son who violated the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, guilty of obstructing lawmakers as they met to certify President Biden’s 2020 election victory. U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden found Kevin Seefried, 52, and Hunter Seefried, 24, guilty of felony criminal mischief, as well as misconduct and related misdemeanors. His verdict came after a two-day trial at which U.S. prosecutors and law enforcement witnesses claimed the men had crossed police lines and were among the top 15 rioters to break into the Capitol building. The group mainly chased U.S. Capitol Officer Eugene Goodman to the main entrance to the Senate chamber, with Kevin Seefried shouting, “Where are the members?” “Where do they count the votes?” The judge found Hunter Seefried not guilty of destroying federal property worth less than $ 1,000 for clearing broken glass and climbing out of a window shattered by the first group of rioters. On the most serious charge, punishable by a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years, McFadden – who ruled in a lawsuit after the two men waived their jury – found that the Seifrids had “the necessary intent” to prevent “Accidentally” the lawmakers when they invaded the building, chased the police and caused the evacuation of the lawmakers. “As an initial injustice, things like breaking a Capitol window, threatening the police and joining a mob chasing an officer through the Capitol are so obviously wrong that they require little further explanation,” said McFadden, a Trump official. 2017. appointed. “I find that defendant Kevin Seefried actually obstructed the certification with his actions,” McFadden said. McFadden said that while there was “overwhelming video evidence” that the events unfolded as prosecutors claimed, if Hunter Seifrid intended to damage property or acted as aggressively as his father was “closer.” This video shows one of the first instances of riots that invaded the Capitol on January 6, 2021. (Video: Brendan Gutenschwager via Storyful) Although McFadden acquitted the younger Seefried of the damage to the window, he said the 24-year-old “knew what he was doing”. He joined a mob in the Capitol that repeatedly shouted “Where are they hiding?” Where are the members? Where do they count the votes? ” said McFadden. “It is not conclusive proof, but his decision to continue with the mob indicates his intention.” McFadden also referred to a statement made by Hunter Seifrid to the FBI, in which he claimed to have told police: “What is happening in that room, in this building, is affecting my lifestyle.” Goodman – whose actions inside the building that day were recorded in a video that went viral – testified in court that Kevin Seefried was the first intruder he encountered during the breach of the Senate wing on the first floor of the building. . Goodman said Elder Sifrid hit him with the tip of his flagpole and shouted that he wanted to know the location of the deputies. Kevin Sifrind told an FBI agent he interviewed that he encountered an officer who matched Goodman’s description, saying, “You can shoot me, man, but we’re coming in,” according to prosecutors. A video taken by the crowd shows Kevin Seefried quickly joined by other furious rioters who chased Goodman down the stairs. The officer led them away from a corridor leading to a Senate entrance used by Vice President Mike Pence’s Republicans, officials, and ritual offices. Instead, the team followed him to the Ohio Clock Corridor on the floor with a mosaic on top. Goodman testified that the corridor leads to the main entrance to the Senate, where he himself knew that the officers were deployed to provide reserves. Capitol Officer Eugene Goodman dealt with the mob that broke into the US Capitol on January 6. (Video: Igor Bobic / HuffPost via Storyful) Prosecutors Brittany L. Reed and Benet Kearney argued that Seefried was part of the first group of troublemakers to enter “in order to reach members of Congress.” The group included two very prominent figures who were accused of leading the category: Douglas Jensen, who wore a black T-shirt with an eagle and the logo of the extremist ideology QAnon, and the “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley, who wore a spear and a bullhead on the floor of the Senate and wore red-white-blue face color and furry headgear with horns. Jensen faces trial in September. Chansley pleaded guilty. Prosecutors played a video of Hunter Seifrid’s interview with the FBI, in which he said he wanted to support Trump and “stop the theft.” A similar video showed Kevin Sifrind saying he came to Washington to defend Trump and admitting that he told a police officer in the building: “It affects us all.” Prosecutors said the comment showed his intention to stop the work of lawmakers. FBI Special Agent Joseph Lear said investigators did not look into Kevin Seefrid’s communications on social media because he deleted them before he and his son surrendered on January 12, 2021. U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols sentenced the father and son on September 16 and 23, respectively.
