New York Editor Sentenced for Role in Jan. 6 Capitol Breach
WASHINGTON—A New York man has been sentenced to prison following his guilty plea to a felony charge related to the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. The incident disrupted a joint session of Congress that was in the process of certifying the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.
Elliot Resnick, 40, from New York, New York, received a sentence of four months in prison and four months of home detention. Additionally, he was sentenced to 24 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $10,539 in fines and restitution. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras. Resnick pled guilty to a single felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder on January 30, 2024.
Court documents reveal that Resnick traveled by bus from New York City to Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021. Resnick, who is the Chief Editor of The Jewish Press, did not participate in the day’s events in his official capacity.
Upon arriving in D.C., Resnick headed to the east side of the U.S. Capitol building, where he ascended the staircase and waved others forward. At the top of the stairs, he joined other rioters in scuffling with police officers who were attempting to keep the crowd away from the East Rotunda Doors.
As the rioters pressed forward, some assaulted police officers who responded with various means, including oleoresin capsicum (O.C.) spray, commonly known as pepper spray. At one point, Resnick grabbed an officer’s arm to obstruct the officer’s efforts to deploy O.C. spray against other rioters.
Eventually, rioters inside the Capitol forced one of the East Rotunda Doors open, and Resnick entered the building at approximately 2:26 p.m. He then attempted to open the second door, but when he failed, he pulled other rioters inside the Capitol through the open door.
Once inside, Resnick moved to different areas, including the Grand Rotunda, the hallway outside the House Chamber, the Crypt, and the Capitol Visitor Center. At around 2:45 p.m., he returned to the East Rotunda Doors and beckoned more rioters to enter. He repeated this several times and congratulated other rioters as they gained entry.
After aiding others, Resnick returned to the Grand Rotunda and took pictures with his cell phone. Police officers soon began pushing rioters out, but Resnick remained inside, talking to other rioters. He eventually left the Capitol at around 3:14 p.m. and stayed on the restricted grounds until approximately 4:18 p.m.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York also provided assistance.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s New York Field Office and Washington Field Office, with help from the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 44 months since January 6, 2021, over 1,504 individuals have been charged across nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Capitol breach. More than 560 individuals have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers, a felony. The investigation is ongoing.
