WASHINGTON —A California man pleaded guilty Jan. 14, to a felony charge of destruction of government property for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
According to court documents, Hunter Ehmke, 21, of Glendora, California, was part of a large crowd gathered about 2:15 p.m. on Jan. 6 outside the Rotunda Door on the East side of the Capitol building. He jumped up onto a ledge of a window that has multiple panes and leads to an office inside. Ehmke, using his right foot, kicked in the three lower panes of the window, shattering them.
Then, using his right fist, he smashed two additional window panes. According to the Architect of the Capitol, the damage to the five broken window panes totaled $2,821. Ehmke was arrested in California on Jan. 13, 2021. He pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and is to be sentenced on May 11, 2022.
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.
In the one year since Jan. 6, more than 725 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 225 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-225-5324 or visit tips.fbi.gov.