A Florida man has been found guilty of charges related to breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 as part of the Proud Boys' attempt to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote for the 2020 presidential election in favor of now-President Joe Biden, officials said Friday.
Gilbert Fonticoba, 49, of Hialeah, Florida, was found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder, which are felonies, in a D.C. federal court on Friday, according to a Department of Justice press release.
Investigators say Fonticoba has been a member of the "Vice City" chapter of the Proud Boys in Miami since 2019, and that on the day of the Capitol Riot, he was one of the first to breach the police barricades onto the Capitol grounds.
Fonticoba first met up with about 100 other members of the Proud Boys near the Washington Monument on the morning of the Capitol Riot, where they dressed in normal clothing to not give away their affiliation.
The group of Proud Boys then marched to the Capitol, where they trampled over a police barricade and eventually made their way into the Capitol building, according to investigators.
Members of the Proud Boys recorded and posted several videos of Fonticoba participating in the breach of the Capitol. And, Fonticoba at one point posted “We just stormed the capital" on Telegram.
Fonticoba faces up to 20 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2024.
U.S. & World
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