Florida Man Sentenced to 6 Months for Jan 6. Capitol Breach Role

A Florida man has been sentenced to prison for his role in the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

On January 6, 2021, Ryan K. Yates, 37, of Holiday, Florida, pushed away barricades around the United States Capitol building and entered the building through the Senate Wing Doors at approximately 2:17 p.m., according to court documents.

Yates then made his way down the Statuary Hall Connector and to the House side of the building, where he stood near a group of rioters as they tried to break into the House floor. He also traveled to the Capitol Rotunda and Crypt.

Yates joined in the effort to push against police to enter the Rotunda itself, along with a handful of other rioters, before officers were able to close the door. He was escorted out of the building with his arms raised, and afterward, he remained on the Capitol grounds within the restricted area.

Yates was arrested by the FBI on September 26, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.

U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden sentenced Yates to six months in prison, three months in home detention, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $2,000 in restitution.

This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

The FBI’s Tampa and Washington Field Offices investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 41 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,450 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.