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Felony Charges Against Charles Bradford Smith
A 25-year-old Pennsylvania man, Charles Bradford Smith of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two felony charges, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
According to court documents, Smith and his co-defendant, Marshall Neefe, communicated with each other and others on Facebook in the weeks preceding Jan. 6. They shared their intentions and plans to travel to Washington on Jan. 6, and Smith messaged others on social media to encourage them to come to Washington.
Smith told a friend that he was buying axe handles and nailing American flags to them “so we can wave the flag but also have a giant beating stick just in case.” He also messaged another social media user that he had obtained a military-style knife that he planned to bring to Washington. On Jan. 6, both he and Neefe entered the Capitol grounds and pushed a large metal sign frame into a defensive line of officers attempting to prevent the crowd from further advancing on the west front plaza of the Capitol.
After he left Washington on Jan. 6, Smith messaged others on Facebook, “Well we literally chased them out into hiding. No certification lol,” referring to the members of Congress who needed to vacate their chambers during the certification process due to the violent breach of the Capitol.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Smith was arrested on Sep. 13, 2021 and is to be sentenced on Sep. 23, 2022. He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge and an additional 8 years in prison on the assault charge. Both charges also carry potential financial penalties.
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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