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Press Release

New York Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia
Assailant Attacked Officer, Stole a U.S. Capitol Police Riot Shield, and Tried to Smash a Window at the Capitol with a Flag Pole

            WASHINGTON — A New York man pleaded guilty today to crimes related to 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 in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the 2020 Presidential election.

            Jonathan J. Munafo, 36, of Albany, New York, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to assaulting, resisting, impeding or interfering with an officer of the U.S. government; knowingly entering or remaining on restricted grounds without lawful authority and while carrying a dangerous weapon; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 29, 2023.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Munafo was on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol Building, outside the tunnel, where he was captured on video striking a U.S. Capitol Police officer twice with a closed fist, striking the officer in the face shield and body. Munafo then violently ripped the officer’s riot shield out of his hands and passed disappeared into the crowd. At another point, Munafo used a wooden flagpole to strike a window of the Capitol thirteen times in an attempt to break it.

            The 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 Middle District of Florida, where Munafo was arrested.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Jacksonville and Washington Field Offices, who listed Munafo as Assault on a Federal Officer (AFO) #170 in their seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 27 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, including more than 320 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.

Updated April 21, 2023

Topic
Violent Crime
Press Release Number: 23-215