A Florida man was sentenced to prison on August 28, 2024 following his conviction for felony and misdemeanor offenses related to the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Richard Cook, 38, of Boca Raton, Florida, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton.
On May 10, 2024, a federal jury found Cook guilty of civil disorder, a felony, and five misdemeanor offenses: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings, and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
During the trial, evidence showed that Cook participated in the violent attack on police officers in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel at the Capitol. Cook entered the Tunnel twice on January 6, 2021, joining the mob in aggressive pushes against officers trying to protect the Capitol. At around 3:12 p.m., Cook was part of the crowd coordinating pushes against the police while shouting commands like “HEAVE HO!” and “PUSH!” One officer was pinned between a shield and a door due to the crowd’s force.
Cook was initially pushed out of the Tunnel but returned as the mob thinned, moving aggressively towards the police line. Although officers temporarily regained control and pushed the rioters, including Cook, out, Cook remained nearby, observing and encouraging the attack. He watched for over an hour as rioters, including himself, continued to assault officers guarding the Tunnel entrance, and witnessed a Metropolitan Police Department officer being brutally injured.
The FBI arrested Cook on March 9, 2023, in Florida. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Miami Field Office – West Palm Beach Resident Agency and Washington Field Offices, with support from the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Since January 6, 2021, over 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Capitol breach, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.