LYNNWOOD — A Lynnwood man pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges surrounding his breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Tucker Weston, 34, pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer and civil disorder. He is scheduled to be sentenced in November.
Weston’s roommate and co-defendant, Jesse Watson, had pleaded guilty to Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building in May. He reportedly raised a blue Trump banner on a pillar using a piece of tape before walking away, according to the charging papers.
According to court records, the roommates traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally. On the morning of Jan. 6, Weston participated in removing a metal barricade on the Capitol grounds, which helped other rioters to advance closer to the Capitol building.
Weston then confronted a group of police officers that stood between the crowd and the Capitol building. According to court documents, Weston shoved police officers who tried to prevent the group from entering.
Weston made his way into the South Side Plaza, where he joined other rioters in using a bike rack to push back against law enforcement, according to court records. He then approached other officers who were trying to subdue a rioter and shoved them.
Weston entered the Capitol building through a broken window next to the Senate wing, according to court documents. Video reportedly depicted Watson and Weston near the Capitol, but for most of the day, they were separated. Phone records indicated that Watson repeatedly tried to contact his roommate the afternoon of Jan. 6.
In the 2½ years since Jan. 6, over 1,069 people have been charged in the United States for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol building, including over 350 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Roughly 561 have received sentences.
Under sentencing guidelines, Weston faces 2 to 2½ years in prison. Watson faces a maximum penalty of six months.
Earlier this month, Daniel Lyons Scott, a Proud Boy from Arlington known as “Milkshake,” was given five years in prison for leading a scrum of rioters who pushed their way into the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EDHJonTall.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
