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Idaho Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Police Officer, Participating in Capitol Breach

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Duke Edward Wilson, a 67-year-old man from Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer and participating in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The incident disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of counting electoral votes for the presidential election. Wilson was arrested on April 15, 2021, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 22.

Key Takeaways:

  • Wilson pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers.
  • He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for obstruction of an official proceeding, and up to eight years and a $250,000 fine for assault on law enforcement.
  • Wilson was part of a crowd that pushed against law enforcement officers with liquid irritants and tried to enter the building.
  • He grabbed for doors and pulled on shields, hitting one officer with a pipe.
  • He assisted others in attempting to pull a shield away from an officer and pushed another 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.
  • More than 570 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.
  • Over 170 individuals have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Statistics:

  • 570+ individuals arrested for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.
  • 170+ individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
  • 20 years maximum prison sentence for obstruction of an official proceeding.
  • $250,000 fine for obstruction of an official proceeding.
  • 8 years maximum prison sentence for assault on law enforcement.
  • $250,000 fine for assault on law enforcement.

Sources:

  • "Defendant Struck Police Officer with Pipe, Participated in Other Attacks" (Press Release, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia).
  • FBI's seeking information photos, with help from the U.S. Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the FBI's Salt Lake City Field Office.

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