A Florida man, Gabriel Augustin Garcia, 43, from Miami, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson also imposed a 24-month supervised release and ordered Garcia to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Garcia was convicted on two felony charges: obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding. However, following the Supreme Court's decision in Fischer v. United States, the government moved to dismiss his conviction for obstruction of an official proceeding.
The evidence presented by the government showed that Garcia was part of the Vice City Chapter of the Proud Boys and had been selected by Enrique Tarrio, then national chairman of the group, to join a rally planning chapter called "Ministry of Self Defense" or MOSD. Messages exchanged among MOSD members discussed potential violence at the Capitol on January 6.
On January 6th, Garcia coordinated with other Proud Boys members through messages as they gathered at Washington Monument before heading towards the Capitol building. He joined others who unlawfully entered the building and live-streamed videos on Facebook during his incursion.
Garcia entered through the Senate Wing Door shortly after it was breached and recorded himself confronting officers inside. He joined a mob attempting to push past officers but was eventually removed from the building about an hour later.
The FBI arrested Garcia on January 19, 2021, in Miami. The case was prosecuted by various divisions within the Department of Justice and investigated by multiple FBI offices along with assistance from U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department.
Since January 6th incident over 1,572 individuals have faced charges related to their involvement with more than 590 accused specifically of assaulting or impeding law enforcement officials during this event which continues under investigation today.
Anyone with information can contact authorities via phone or online tip submission methods provided by FBI resources available nationwide.