COLORADO — Two more men from Colorado are now facing felony and misdemeanor charges for their actions on Jan 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol after the Federal Bureau of Investigation followed up on tips about their role in the riots after the “Stop the Steal” rally attended by former President Donald Trump hours earlier.
Eric Zeis, 37, from Monument, and Justin Schulze, 31, from Colorado Springs are charged with:
- felony obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder
- misdemeanor disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
- misdemeanor disorderly conduct in a Capital building
- misdemeanor parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building
The two men who are longtime friends, according to the FBI, were arrested on Monday in Colorado.
According to investigators, Zeis and Schulze traveled to D.C. in Zeis's van with several other people to attend former President Trump's speech on Jan. 6, 2021.
Information from Capitol Police closed circuit TV and open-source media was reviewed to show Zeis and Schulze outside the U.S. Capitol and inside the building after it was breached.
The criminal complaint states both men worked with others to force Capitol Police to retreat to the East Rotunda doors. The group then pushed against officers guarding the doors to get inside.
The officers made several commands for the crowd to stop and used pepper spray to try and dissuade rioters. Officers were met with members of the mob chanting "Stop the Steal!" and "Our house" while they banged on glass windows.
At approximately 2:25 p.m., the Rotunda doors were successfully breached by the rioters. According to surveillance camera footage from inside the Capitol building, Zeis can be seen entering at approximately 2:26 p.m. Zeis was quickly pinned against a closed door with visible damage to the window.
Zeis was eventually able to force his way inside with Schulze following close behind.
Most of the pair's movements were able to be tracked using CCTV footage from inside the building.
After gaining entrance, Zeis and Schulze joined another large group of insurrectionists who were confronting officers guarding the U.S. House of Representatives chambers.
While outside of the chambers, rioters chanted "BREAK IT DOWN!" in reference to the doors separating the mob from the chambers.
Both men then retraced their steps throughout the Capitol but before exiting, stopped in the Rotunda, where Zeis is alleged to have joined a group that “collectively pushed officers.” The two men left the Capitol shortly after 3 p.m.
You can read the Statement of Facts from the Magistrate who handled the case.
In the nearly three years since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 peopled charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony, DOJ officials said in a news release Tuesday. The investigation remains ongoing.
Zeis and Schulze are among the nearly two dozen Coloradans who are either facing federal charges or who have been sentenced by the feds for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The other Coloradans involved in the events that day are:
- Todd Branden Casey of Denver wasarrested on Aug. 30 in Georgetown, Colorado. He faces felony charges of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, plus multiple misdemeanor charges.
- Jacob Clark of Colorado Springs (previously lived in Trinidad)was arrested in April 2021 on multiple charges in connection to the Jan. 6 riot. He demanded police officers to stand down during the attack. He was sentenced on Oct. 30, 2023 to nearly three years in prison and a year of supervised release.
- Glen Wes Lee Croy of Colorado Springs,pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing inside the Capitol in August 2021. He wassentenced in November to 90 days of house arrest along with 14 days in a community correctional facility. He called himself an idiot.
- Tyler Earl Ethridge of Colorado Springswas arrested in July 2022 in Denver and faces six federal charges for his participation in the riot. He is a pastor who graduated from Charis Bible College in Woodland Park.
- Robert Gieswein of Woodland Parkwas arrested and faced multiple charges in January 2021 in connection to the Jan. 6 riot, including assault on an officer "with a spray canister, temporary barrier, and baseball bat," according to his arrest affidavit.He pleaded guilty to a felony charge in early March 2023.He was sentenced to 48 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.
- Jonathan David Grace of Colorado Springswas arrested on March 30, 2023 on felony and misdemeanor charges. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2023 to assaulting a law enforcement officer.
- Logan Grover of Eriewas charged in April 2021 with disruptive conduct in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds, and demonstrating in a capitol building. Hepleaded guilty in July 2022. He served in the Army Reserve for nearly 10 years and was deployed to Iraq, according to The Denver Post. He was sentenced to a month of house arrest and two years' probation in February 2023.
- Thomas Patrick Hamner of Peytonwas arrested and charged in November 2021. Videos allegedly showed him fighting with Capitol and Metropolitan Police. In September 2022, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
- Lisa Ann Homer of Colorado Springswas arrested in November 2021 in Colorado Springs. She faces charges of illegally entering the capitol, disorderly and disruptive conduct on capitol grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building. She was sentenced to three years' probation, 60 hours of community service, a $5,000 fine and $500 restitution.
- Jennifer Horvath of Colorado Springswas arrested and charged in May 2022 on multiple federal charges. She was located after FBI agents linked her to her boyfriend Glen Wes Lee Croy (listed above), who was also arrested, charged and sentenced for his involvement. She was sentenced in November 2022 to 36 months of probation, including 90 days of home confinement and 14 days at a residential facility, plus a $500 restitution.
- Klete Keller, an Olympian from Colorado Springs, pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding after storming the U.S. Capitol in September 2021. He faces 21 to 27 months in prison. His sentencing date is TBD.
- Avery Carter MacCracken of San Miguel County was charged in December 2021 with assaulting officers in the Jan. 6 riot. He was arrested in Norwood on six federal charges. He was captured on videos and in photos fighting with U.S. Capitol Police officers. He pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer on Oct. 20, 2023.
- Patrick Montgomery of Douglas County was charged in January 2021 with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. According to an affidavit for his arrest, federal investigators were tipped off by someone who saw Montgomery in photos from inside the Capitol posted to Facebook. He pleaded not guilty.
- Daniel Michael Morrissey was charged in federal court in November 2021 for illegally entering the U.S. Capitol. He pleaded guilty to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds and was sentenced to 45 days of incarceration and 26 months of probation in mid-August.
- Hunter Palm of Colorado Springs was arrested in May 2021 after he allegedly entered U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office on Jan. 6. He was identified to federal investigators by a family member. He was arrested in May 2021 and indicted the following month. He pleaded not guilty to all counts.
- Jeffrey Sabol of Jefferson County is accused of dragging a police officer down steps to be beaten by an American flag outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A federal judge denied him bail in April 2021. After the attack, prosecutors said he tried to fly to Switzerland.
- Timothy Williams of Trinidad was charged in June 2021 with multiple federal crimes. FBI agents found Williams on videos of the rioters inside the Capitol that day.
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