WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a significant development regarding the January 6, 2021 Capitol breach, a man from North Carolina has entered a guilty plea to felony charges.
Nathan Baer, 44, from Asheville, North Carolina, acknowledged his involvement in civil disorder during the U.S. Capitol breach, pleading guilty to a felony charge before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras. His sentencing is scheduled for September 6, 2024.
Court documents reveal Baer’s participation in the aggressive push against law enforcement in the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace Tunnel, a site of notable violence during the breach. Baer was seen actively pushing against police and rioters, utilizing police shields in efforts to breach police defenses. Despite police deployment of OC spray to disperse participants, Baer continued his involvement in the chaos until his final exit from the Tunnel at approximately 3:19 p.m.
Baer’s arrest by the FBI on June 26, 2023, in Asheville, underscores the ongoing efforts to hold accountable those involved in the January 6 events. This case is prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, with assistance from the Western District of North Carolina.