Capitol Tunnel Brawl: Three Rioters Sentenced

WASHINGTON – Three men learned their fate on July 9, 2024, after pleading guilty to felony charges stemming from the brutal January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The men, part of a larger mob, directly interfered with a joint session of Congress convened to certify the 2020 presidential election results. The sentencing signals a continued federal crackdown on those responsible for the day’s chaos and violence.

Alan Michael St. Onge, 36, of Brevard, North Carolina, received 18 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. Kyle Kumer, 43, of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, 24 months of supervised release, and $2,000 in restitution. William “Jessie” Stover, 46, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, received a six-month prison sentence, 36 months of supervised release, and a $2,000 restitution order. U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols handed down the sentences.

Court documents detail a particularly vicious scene within the “Tunnel” – a section of the Lower West Terrace where some of the most intense fighting between rioters and law enforcement occurred. Beginning at 2:42 p.m. on January 6th, the mob relentlessly attacked U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers defending the entrance. For over two hours, officers were subjected to thrown objects, chemical irritants, and sustained physical assault as rioters attempted to breach the police line. St. Onge, Kumer, and Stover were all identified as active participants in this relentless assault.

The evidence paints a clear picture of St. Onge’s progression through the Capitol grounds. He initially approached from the east, pushing against barricades and officers before moving to the West Front and then into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel around 2:55 p.m. Surveillance footage captured him forcefully pushing against other rioters, attempting to collectively overwhelm the police line at approximately 3:09 p.m. He was forcibly expelled from the tunnel by police at 3:18 p.m. St. Onge was arrested on June 16, 2023, in his home state of North Carolina.

Kumer’s actions were particularly brazen. Accompanied by his elderly mother, he joined the fray at the Lower West Terrace. At 3:08 p.m., he positioned himself to amplify the push against the police line, shouting “Let’s go! C’mon! Let’s go!” to encourage fellow rioters. He continued to push alongside the crowd, contributing to an assault that crushed an MPD officer between the mob and a door. Despite ample opportunity to leave at 3:15 p.m., Kumer and his mother remained, participating in another push against the police line before being cleared from the tunnel at 3:18 p.m.

These sentences, while varying in length, represent a significant step in holding individuals accountable for the violence that unfolded on January 6th. Prosecutors continue to pursue charges against hundreds of others involved in the breach, signaling that the Department of Justice remains committed to prosecuting those who attempted to subvert the democratic process and attacked the Capitol. The Tunnel, in particular, remains a focal point of the investigation, given the severity of the assaults that occurred within its confines.