Alabama man’s 15 minutes inside U.S. Capitol on January 6 may cost him up 3 years in prison
Published 9:43 am Thursday, October 6, 2022
An Alabama man was found guilty today by a jury in the District of Columbia of misdemeanor charges for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. 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 presidential election.
Russell Dean Alford, 62, of Hokes Bluff, Alabama, was found guilty of four charges.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 6, 2021, Alford attended a “Stop the Steal” rally near the Ellipse and then walked towards the U.S. Capitol, where he entered the upper House door on the southeast side of the building, at approximately 2:43 p.m. He went into the building through doors that had been broken by others. He remained inside for approximately 15 minutes. He later posted videos and photographs on social media, including to his YouTube page.
On Jan. 20, 2021, Alford was interviewed by the FBI at his business in Alabama. Upon seeing the agents walk towards him in the parking area of his business, he stated, “I wondered when y’all were going to show up. Guess you’ve seen the videos on my Facebook page.”
Alford was arrested on March 29, 2021, in Birmingham, Alabama.
Alford was found guilty of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
He is to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2023. The four offenses carry a combined statutory maximum of three years of incarceration and potential financial penalties. The Court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Birmingham and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.