Justin Lee, Forcibly Obstructing Law Enforcement, Washington 2021

WASHINGTON – A Maryland man was sentenced to prison today after he was previously convicted of forcibly obstructing law enforcement and other charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Justin Lee, 25, of Rockville, Maryland, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to 18 months in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution.

According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, on Jan. 6, 2021, Lee, a former law enforcement officer, was identified by authorities via open-source video as present among a crowd of rioters amassed at the exterior Archway leading to the Lower West Terrace Exterior Door of the Capitol, also referred to as the “Tunnel.” The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th.

There, at approximately 2:41 p.m., numerous United States Capitol Police (USCP) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers, after having had their positions on the Lower West Terrace overrun by rioters, fell back and entered the Archway. Officers sought to prevent rioters from entering the Capitol building through that entrance while rioters attempted to force their way inside, including by throwing objects at the officers and using lights to distract and disorient the officers.

Evidence showed that the device thrown by Lee produced a billowing smoke cloud as other rioters attempted to physically push against the officers, preventing entry into the Capitol building.

The case was 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 District of Maryland.

In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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