Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Destruction of Property During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach
WASHINGTON – An Illinois resident admitted guilt today to a felony charge of property destruction during the January 6, 2021, invasion of the U.S. Capitol. This event disrupted a joint session of Congress convened to verify and count the electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election.
Justin LaGesse, 37, from McLeansboro, Illinois, pleaded guilty to felony destruction of government property in front of U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg. Judge Boasberg is scheduled to sentence LaGesse on January 10, 2025.
Theodore Middendorf, 36, also from McLeansboro, is charged as a co-defendant in this case. The investigation remains active.
Court documents reveal that LaGesse and Middendorf planned their trip to Washington, D.C., in December 2020 to protest the presidential election results. They had shirts made with the phrase “F— ANTIFA” on the front as part of their preparations.
On January 6, 2021, the men arrived in Washington, D.C., carrying an American flag and a Gadsden flag. LaGesse wore a camouflaged jacket, the customized shirt, a blue baseball cap, and an American flag-style neck gaiter. At around 2:51 p.m., LaGesse entered the Capitol by climbing through a broken window near the Senate Wing Door and assisted Middendorf in following him. Inside, they moved to the Senate Wing Door lobby, waving their flags and chanting “U.S.A.” with other rioters.
After spending time in the lobby, LaGesse and Middendorf roamed through the Capitol and exited at approximately 3:02 p.m. Outside, LaGesse lowered his neck gaiter partially and began insulting officers protecting the Capitol, calling them “f— traitors” and “f— communist scum.”
By 4:09 p.m., they had relocated to the north side of the Capitol, where a large group was trying to breach the building through the North Door. Police officers blocked the rioters from entering. LaGesse and Middendorf then struck a nearby exterior window with their flagpoles, causing visible damage.
Post-riot, the Architect of the Capitol assessed that repairing the window would cost $41,315.25.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case, with significant support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.
The FBI’s Springfield and Washington Field Offices conducted the investigation, with support from the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Since January 6, 2021, over 1,488 individuals from nearly all 50 states have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol breach. This includes nearly 550 people charged with felony assault or impeding law enforcement. The investigation is ongoing.
