Jun 2, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Justice Department secures 2nd guilty plea stemming from Capitol riot

Yacob Reyes

Trump Supporter hold rally in DC amid ratification of the presidential election. — Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Paul Hodgkins, 38, of Tampa pleaded guilty on Wednesday to obstruction of an official proceeding for participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Why it matters: Hodgkins is the second defendant to plead guilty in the Justice Department's sweeping criminal investigation of the Capitol insurrection, which has resulted in charges against more than 500 people thus far, according to Insider.

As part of the plea deal, the remaining misdemeanors Hodgkins was charged with will be dropped.
Hodgkins faces a recommended sentence of 15–21 months in prison, per the Washington Post. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19.

The big picture: Federal prosecutors have described the Capitol riot probe as "likely the most complex investigation ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice." Some Republicans cited the existence of the DOJ investigation as a rationale for voting against a bipartisan Jan. 6 commission.

Jon Schaffer, a guitarist for the metal band Iced Earth, pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding on April 16, per BuzzFeed.
Prosecutors have started offering plea deals to other rioters as well, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

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Justice Department secures 2nd guilty plea stemming from Capitol riot

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