Tennessee Man Sentenced for Role in Capitol Breach
WASHINGTON— A Tennessee resident received a prison sentence today following his guilty plea to charges stemming from the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. The incident disrupted a joint session of Congress convened to certify the 2020 presidential election results.
Allan Jennings, 57, from Hillsboro, Tennessee, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton to pay $3,825 in restitution and fines. Jennings had previously admitted guilt to a felony charge of civil disorder and a misdemeanor charge of destruction of government property.
Court records reveal that Jennings traveled from Tennessee to Washington, D.C., to participate in the “Stop the Steal” rally and other related events on January 6, 2021. After attending the rally, Jennings approached the Capitol building’s West Plaza, where a large and increasingly violent crowd had gathered by approximately 2:40 p.m. The crowd advanced towards the Inaugural stage and Lower West Terrace, eventually clashing with law enforcement officers.
At around 2:41 p.m., Jennings was among the initial group of rioters who pursued retreating officers into the Tunnel entrance of the Capitol. Once inside, Jennings approached a double set of closed glass doors, separating the mob from police officers and further access into the Capitol. Using a pair of medical scissors, Jennings shattered the glass doors, causing $825 in damages.
The court documents state that after shattering the glass, the crowd moved through the broken doors, pressing against the police line. Jennings briefly reached the front of the mob, placing his hands on an officer’s shield, before retreating to the middle of the group and exiting the Tunnel around 2:47 p.m.
The FBI apprehended Jennings in Tennessee on September 12, 2023.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s Knoxville and Washington Field Offices led the investigation, supported by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Since January 6, 2021, over 1,504 individuals across nearly all 50 states have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol breach. This includes more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation is ongoing.
