WASHINGTON – A Tennessee man was sentenced today on a felony charge related to his conduct during the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions, along with those 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.
Michael Asbury, 44, of Knoxville, Tennessee, received a sentence of four months imprisonment and 24 months of supervised release, the first four months of which will be home detention. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras. Asbury had pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder on March 20, 2024.
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According to court documents, Asbury traveled with his cousin from Tennessee to Washington, D.C., to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6, 2021, at the Ellipse. After the rally, they proceeded to the West Front of the Capitol grounds. Asbury climbed onto a media tower and cheered on the rioters. At approximately 1:40 p.m., when rioters pushed a large “TRUMP 2020” sign in a metal frame toward the police line, Asbury placed his hand on the sign while standing on the media tower.
After rioters swarmed the Lower West Terrace at 2:30 p.m., Asbury was seen standing on a ledge and dancing in celebration. By 2:49 p.m., Capitol building surveillance footage captured him in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day. From his position, Asbury witnessed the large formation of police officers defending an entrance to the Capitol Building.
At approximately 2:50 p.m., Asbury moved into the Tunnel and leaned his body weight against a rioter in front of him. Additional rioters then joined, collectively pushing against the police line in a “heave-ho” effort. After this first push, Asbury stood at the Tunnel’s entrance for about two minutes, during which time he handed a police riot shield to rioters outside.
Asbury later re-entered the Tunnel, appearing to intend to re-engage with the police line. At approximately 2:53 p.m., a rioter next to him sprayed the police line with OC spray, and another rioter threw a large object toward the police. Asbury assisted in throwing a police shield toward the crowd behind him. He then passed what appeared to be a functional stun gun out of the Tunnel to a man in a blue jacket, later identified as Vitali GossJankowski.
Asbury remained in the Tunnel and participated in a second push against the police line. He then made his way to the front of the mob and engaged in another “heave-ho” effort against the police. Asbury exited the Tunnel at approximately 2:57 p.m. but re-entered at about 3:02 p.m. to participate in another push. The police eventually deployed OC spray to disperse the rioters, causing many, including Asbury, to exit the Tunnel. Asbury left the Tunnel at approximately 3:05 p.m. and stayed at the entrance, cheering on the rioters.
The FBI arrested Asbury on June 28, 2023. This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, with valuable assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The FBI’s Knoxville and Washington Field Offices, the United States Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department all contributed to the investigation.
Since January 6, 2021, over 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Capitol breach, including nearly 550 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.
Source: Read Original Release
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