4 Texans convicted for breaching U.S. Capitol building, DOJ says

FILE - Violent insurrectionists loyal to then President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021. The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol has agreed to defer its request for hundreds of pages of records from the Trump administration, bending to the wishes of the Biden White House. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) (Jose Luis Magana, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

HOUSTON – Four Texans have pleaded guilty for their role in breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, federal court documents said.

Richard Franklin Barnard and Jeffrey Shane Witcher pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2021, and were sentenced on Feb. 4, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Elizabeth Rose Williams and Edward T. Spain Jr. also pleaded guilty on Feb. 3, and are both awaiting sentencing at this time.

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Documents show that both Barnard and Witcher are set to face 12 months probation, 60 hours of community service, and were ordered to pay $500 in restitution. Barnard is also sentenced to 30 days of home confinement.

According to court documents, Barnard and Witcher traveled to Washington, D.C. the day before the U.S. Capitol breach to attend a rally held by then-President Donald Trump.

Both men were identified as persons of interest after selfie photos of both men were apparently sent to mutual friends, who then sent them to the FBI for further investigation.

Meanwhile, Spain Jr. was identified as a person of interest after court documents revealed he posted social media posts on Parler, a conservative social media platform, days before the U.S. Capitol breach.

In Williams’ case, the FBI received multiple tips that apparently showed her being inside the U.S. Capitol with her significant other within a large group, court documents said.

Both Williams and Spain Jr. are expected to face up to six months of prison, five years of probation, and must pay a $5,000 fine.


About the Author

A graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown, Ana moved to H-Town from sunny southern California in 2015. In 2020, she joined the KPRC 2 digital team as an intern. Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. In her spare time, she's an avid video gamer and loves to travel.

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