Four Men Sentenced for Jan. 6 Capitol Breach
WASHINGTON – Four men from Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia have been sentenced to various prison terms following their convictions on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Their actions, along with those of others, disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to certify the electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election.
Sentences and Convictions
On Sept. 19, 2024, U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb sentenced the following individuals:
- Stephen Chase Randolph, 34, of Harrodsburg, Kentucky: 8 years in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and $2,000 in restitution.
- James Tate Grant, 31, of Cary, North Carolina: 36 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and $2,000 in restitution.
- Jason Benjamin Blythe, 28, of Fort Worth, Texas: 30 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and $2,000 in restitution.
- Paul Russell Johnson, 38, of Lanexa, Virginia: Five years of probation, including intermittent confinement on weekends for the first year, followed by two years of home confinement. He was also fined $25,000 and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
A fifth defendant, Ryan Samsel, 40, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, will be sentenced on February 4, 2025.
Details of the Offenses
All five defendants were convicted of civil disorder. Additionally, Samsel and Randolph were found guilty of assaulting Officer C.E. with a deadly or dangerous weapon and causing bodily injury using a metal crowd control barrier. Grant, Johnson, and Blythe were convicted of assaulting Officer D.C. with a metal crowd control barrier. Randolph faced an additional felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding Officer D.C., while Samsel faced further felony charges including civil disorder and assaulting officers using a dangerous weapon (a wooden plank).
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that the group was involved in the initial breach of the restricted Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, leading an attack on U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers, which facilitated the entry of thousands of rioters onto the Capitol grounds.
At approximately 12:40 p.m., the five men joined other rioters at the Peace Circle, facing the Capitol grounds. The area was secured by linked bike-rack barricades, reinforced with snow fencing and zip ties, and marked with signs indicating the closure by order of the United States Capitol Police Board.
By 12:50 p.m., Samsel had approached and breached the first barricade, with Grant following and urging the crowd forward. Johnson, Blythe, and Randolph joined Samsel and Grant, moving past the first barricade towards officers at a second barricade. During this period, Johnson used a megaphone to shout phrases such as “Let’s go!” and “We pay your bills!”
The group then began forcibly pushing and pulling on the second barricade, ultimately lifting and driving it into a line of USCP officers. The force of the barricade strike caused one officer to lose consciousness and suffer a concussion after hitting their head twice. Another officer was pushed several feet backward into a stairwell and handrail.
Following this, Randolph jumped over the barricade and grabbed an officer, leading to the collapse of the barricades and the retreat of USCP officers towards the Capitol building, allowing the rioters to advance.
Continued Actions During the Riot
Each of the five men continued to participate in the riot. Samsel assaulted additional officers, Johnson incited the crowd using a megaphone, and Grant entered the Capitol building. Blythe and Randolph climbed to the Upper West Terrace.
Samsel’s actions included grabbing a riot shield, tearing through scaffolding, waving a flag in officers’ faces, and throwing a wooden plank at Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers. Grant entered the Capitol through a broken window and was recorded inside Senator Merkley’s office. Blythe resisted officers clearing the grounds and climbed the media tower.
Johnson used his megaphone to shout commands and encourage the crowd to disrupt Congressional proceedings. Randolph observed law enforcement struggles from the Upper West Terrace.
Prosecution and Investigation
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, with assistance from various U.S. Attorney’s Offices and FBI field offices. The U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department also contributed to the investigation.
In the 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, over 1,504 individuals have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol breach, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation is ongoing.
