,James Russell Davis, 47, of King George, Virginia, ,pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to one count of civil disorder, a felony offense. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 12th, 2023.
According to court documents, on January 5th, 2021, Davis traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally. He was a self-proclaimed member of the Virginia chapter of the ,Proud Boys and had communicated with other members via an encrypted messaging system about the protest.
On the morning of January 6th, Davis joined members of the Proud Boys on a march to the Capitol. At approximately 2:35 p.m., court records show he was at the front of the crowd attempting to Breach the defensive perimeter. He was armed with a long wooden stick and personally engaged with at least three different officers while attempting to breach the police line.
When confronted a second time by a police officer, court records say that Davis pushed back and placed his right hand on the officer’s shoulder. At approximately 2:36 pm, he experienced a medical issue and collapsed. He was then pulled away from the police line and later sent a message via Telegram describing his conduct.
The charge of civil disorder carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. A federal court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering all factors and the U.S. Sentencing guidelines. All charges carry potential financial penalties.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. It is being investigated by the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as the U.S. Capitol Police and FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Ongoing Investigation of Virginia Proud Boy
In the 29 months since the breach of the U.S. Capitol, more than 1,000 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states with crimes related to the incident, including nearly 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov.
The actions of Davis and others on January 6th disrupted a joint session of Congress convening to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election. He stands as one of many who have been charged in connection to the breach and awaits his sentencing hearing scheduled for September 12th, 2023.
