WASHINGTON — A former New Jersey National Guard police sergeant who went on the run in November, after the FBI came to arrest him in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, pleaded guilty on Thursday to assaulting officers.
Gregory Yetman pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with physical contact and the intent to commit another felony during a hearing before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg. The parties agreed that Yetman’s sentencing guidelines were between 37 and 46 months in federal prison.
Yetman, a heavy equipment operator who was at the time an enlisted military police officer, admitted that he attended then-President Donald Trump’s speech on Jan. 6 and understood that Trump said they were going to the Capitol.
“Yetman then walked to the west side of U.S. Capitol building, where he heard people chanting, ‘Stop the Steal.’ While there, he heard ‘flash bangs’ and observed tear gas being deployed by U.S. Capitol police officers who were defending the Capitol,” according to the agreed-upon statement of offense. “He observed rioters who had been exposed to gas and oleoresin capsicum (‘OC’) spray and watched as other rioters attempted to break windows. He also saw a police officer get pulled into the crowd but did not attempt to help the officer.”
Yetman then saw officers who were surrounded by other members of the mob, picked up a canister of OC spray, and “intentionally assaulted the same group of besieged police officers by spraying them.”
Yetman also admitted that he fled when the FBI showed up to arrest him, dropping a knife and a cellular telephone. He admitted that law enforcement located “multiple firearms and significant quantities of ammunition at his residence, a loaded firearm in his vehicle, and additional firearms and weapons in a storage unit.”
Until now, Yetman was one of about 15 Jan. 6 defendants who had been held in pre-trial custody without having been convicted of a crime.
In the three years since Jan. 6, prosecutors have charged over 1,387 Capitol attack defendants and secured more than 984 convictions and more than 520 sentences of incarceration, from a few days behind bars to 22 years in federal prison.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
