An Arkansas man has been sentenced for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Nathan Earl Hughes, 35, from Fayetteville, Arkansas, received a sentence of 25 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. He was also fined $5,000. U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols delivered the sentence.
Hughes had previously pleaded guilty to two felony charges: assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and civil disorder. Additionally, he admitted to a misdemeanor charge related to impeding passage through Capitol grounds or buildings.
Court documents revealed that on January 6th, Hughes was present near the Lower West Terrace Tunnel at the Capitol for nearly two hours. This area witnessed some of the day's most violent attacks against law enforcement officers. Hughes wore distinctive clothing including a custom black and camouflage print hat and an "Infowars" branded shirt.
At around 3:15 p.m., Hughes signaled to rioters at the Tunnel entrance and entered it himself, moving toward the police line. He encouraged others to join him in confronting law enforcement by pushing against officers and attempting to seize police riot shields.
By approximately 3:19 p.m., as police forced him out of the Tunnel, Hughes attempted to take an officer's baton and struck another officer with his elbow and fist. After being pushed out of the Tunnel, he remained nearby for over an hour encouraging other rioters.
The FBI arrested Hughes on August 30, 2023, in Arkansas. The case was prosecuted by both 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 various law enforcement agencies.
Since January 6th incident more than 1,572 individuals have been charged across almost all states with crimes related to this event; over 590 have faced charges for assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers—a felony offense.
For tips related to this investigation which remains ongoing individuals can contact authorities at provided channels.