WASHINGTON — An Ohio woman was sentenced to 50 days in prison on Wednesday for her involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Therese Borgerding, 61, of Piqua, Ohio, was convicted of both felony and misdemeanor charges for her actions that day, which disrupted Congress during the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
In addition to her prison term, U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly sentenced Borgerding to 130 days of home confinement and 36 months of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Borgerding was convicted of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder, a felony, and several misdemeanor offenses, including entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct, and picketing inside the Capitol.
Court documents show that Borgerding traveled to Washington, D.C., with her husband, Walter Messer, on Jan. 6, 2021. She was seen near the Capitol’s East Front by early morning, holding a large homemade “Q” sign. She later approached the barricades, helping to push them apart as the crowd surged towards the Capitol. Borgerding eventually entered the Capitol building through the Rotunda Doors and remained inside briefly before exiting through a smashed window.
Borgerding was arrested by the FBI in Dayton, Ohio, in August 2021.