Retired Air Force pilot convicted of Jan. 6 felony charges

Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A federal judge has convicted a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel on felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the Capitol building.

U.S. District Judge John Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia found Larry Brock, 55, of Grapevine, Texas, guilty of all six charges he faced Wednesday following a bench trial, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Brock was among the crowd of supporters of then-President Donald Trump who stormed the Capitol building Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent the certification of Joe Biden as president of the United States.

The Justice Department said Brock entered the Senate Wing Doors at 2:24 p.m., before moving through the building, including the Crypt and Rotunda. He then entered the Senate chamber, where he resided for about 20 minutes, during which he rifled through paperwork left on senators' desks.

He left the building at 3:01 p.m., 37 minutes after he entered, federal prosecutors said.

Following the insurrection attempt, the retired Air Force lieutenant colonel was widely seen in pictures and video published by news organizations showing him standing in the Senate chamber while wearing green tactical gear, including a helmet, that was adorned with patches.

In the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and arrest warrant, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation said a witness identified only as Brock's ex-wife called them to say she recognized Brock in the published video footage.

"I just know that when I saw this was happening, I was afraid he would be there," Brock's unnamed ex-wife is quoted as having told the FBI in the document. "I think you already know he was there. It is such a good picture of him and I recognize his patch."

That same day, a second witness contacted the FBI via email to report that they recognized Brock in a picture taken at the Capitol building during the siege.

"It looks like him and he has pilot wings on his chest in this picture," the witness is quoted as having written to the FBI. "He was an A-10 pilot. Worked at L3, and he still has contacts that work with L3 that knew he was flying to Washington, D.C."

Brock was arrested Jan. 10, 2021.

He is to be sentenced on Valentine's Day, when he faces a maximum 20 years in prison for a felony obstruction of an official proceeding charge. The five misdemeanor charges relating to entering the Capitol building carry a combined statutory maximum sentence of three-and-a-half years in prison.

According to Justice Department stats, nearly 900 people have been arrested on charges related to the Capitol attack, including more than 275 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.