New York Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Obstruction Charges Related to Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

            WASHINGTON – A New York man pleaded guilty today to crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            According to court documents, Matthew Greene, 34, of Syracuse, conspired with fellow members of the Proud Boys, a self-described “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists.” Greene pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

            Greene was arrested on April 21, 2021, following his indictment along with two other individuals in this case, Dominic Pezzola, 44, of Rochester, New York, and William Pepe, 32, of Beacon, New York; they have pleaded not guilty to charges.

            According to court documents, Greene officially joined the Central New York Proud Boys chapter in December 2020. In advance of Jan. 6, he and other members of the Proud Boys planned to come to Washington and coordinate their activities through various communication methods they had previously obtained, including programmable radios. On Jan. 6, they met up at the Washington Monument, intentionally dressed in clothing that concealed their membership as Proud Boys.

            Greene and other Proud Boys members then marched from the Washington Monument to the Capitol, where Greene witnessed the tearing down of barricades and advanced with others into the restricted area. Greene was among the first wave to cross a downed police line and advance into the West Plaza. He later advanced to a set of stairs that ran from the West Plaza to the Upper West Terrace. He witnessed rioters assault the police and overrun them. Greene followed others up the stairs moments after the police line was breached. Finally, after exiting the stairs, he participated with other rioters, including members of the Proud Boys, in moving additional police barricades.

            Greene remains detained pending sentencing, which was set for March 10, 2022. He faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge, along with potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            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 Northern District of New York.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Syracuse Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albany Field Office, with assistance from the New York State Police.

            In the 11 months since Jan. 6, more than 700 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 220 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.