WASHINGTON — A Maryland man was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison for forcibly obstructing law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, which disrupted Congress’s certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
Justin Lee, 25, of Rockville, was convicted of two felonies, including assaulting law enforcement and civil disorder, as well as three misdemeanor offenses related to his presence and conduct at the Capitol on the day of the attack. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Lee to serve 12 months of supervised release and pay $7,500 in restitution.
Court documents and trial evidence revealed that Lee, a former law enforcement officer, was seen in open-source video at the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, a site of some of the most violent clashes between rioters and police. Authorities said Lee threw a smoking object at law enforcement, hurled another object, and shone a flashlight toward the officers attempting to hold back the mob.
The object thrown by Lee created a thick smoke cloud as rioters pushed against the police line, trying to force their way into the Capitol building. Lee was identified in part by a Maryland flag gaiter he wore during the attack. He was arrested by FBI Baltimore agents on Oct. 19.
Lee’s case was investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore and Washington field offices, with assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
More than 1,560 people across the country have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot, including over 590 accused of assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.