11/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/01/2024 12:34
WASHINGTON - A Texas man was convicted today of felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions 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.
A federal jury found William Patrick Sarsfield III, 47, of Gun Barrel City, Texas, guilty of a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings, and committing an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton will sentence Sarsfield on March 4, 2024.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Sarsfield was identified on Jan. 6, 2021, in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel of the Capitol grounds, where some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day.
Evidence at trial showed that after arriving in Washington, D.C., Sarsfield attended the "Stop the Steal" rally at the Ellipse and later made his way to the U.S. Capitol. After passing through downed barricades and the massive crowd on the West Front of the Capitol Grounds, Sarsfield reached the inaugural stage and neared the Tunnel. Sarsfield watched and recorded the chaos outside of the Tunnel. Then, around 3:12 p.m., about 30 minutes after rioters first breached the Tunnel, United States Capitol Police (USCP) surveillance video captured Sarsfield dashing into the Tunnel.
At the Tunnel entrance, rioters, armed with stolen police shields, launched a violent assault against the officers guarding the doors. They sprayed chemical irritants, threw projectiles, and coordinated efforts to break through the police line, shouting commands like "HEAVE HO!" and "PUSH!" Sarsfield quickly joined these efforts, pressing his body weight against the officers. Amidst this chaos, an officer screamed in pain as he was crushed between a shield and a metal door frame.
After several attempts to push through the police line, Sarsfield retreated to the mouth of the Tunnel but did not leave. Instead, he grabbed onto the wooden framing of the archway, remaining in place. Meanwhile, another rioter directed the crowd by yelling "SHIELD WALL!" and instructing others to pass shields forward. Sarsfield participated by handing shields to other rioters in the Tunnel.
As the numbers in the Tunnel thinned, Sarsfield quickly re-entered, aggressively pushing once again against the police line, chanting commands with the rioters. After this second round of forceful pushing, he returned to the Tunnel entrance, where he ushered more rioters into the Tunnel.
Sarsfield then joined the rioters in the Tunnel for a third time, throwing his weight into the police line in another coordinated effort to break through the police line. The mob continued their collective efforts until approximately 3:18 p.m. when police officers managed to force Sarsfield and the remaining rioters out of the Tunnel. Despite attempting to resist, Sarsfield ultimately retreated into the crowd.
The FBI arrested Sarsfield on Feb. 14, 2023, in Texas.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas.
This case is being investigated by the FBI's Dallas Field Office and the FBI's Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 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.