A National Guardsman, who sparked an FBI manhunt after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, pleaded guilty on Thursday during a hearing in Washington, D.C.
Gregory C. Yetman, a 47-year-old resident of Helmetta, N.J., has pleaded guilty to a felony offense in the District of Columbia. The offense in question is assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with physical contact. This announcement comes directly from officials at the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to officials, after spraying multiple officers for about 12-14 seconds, Yetman caused the officers to retreat towards their colleagues and vacate the area.
According to officials from the Justice Department, when the officers attempted to arrest Yetman on November 8, 2023, he fled into the woods as he was unable to re-enter his house.
During the riot, Yetman, who was working as a heavy equipment operator and serving as a military police officer, confirmed that he was present at the event.
According to court documents, it is mentioned that the individual proceeded towards the west side of the U.S. Capitol building, where he could hear people chanting, “Stop the Steal.” While he was there, he witnessed the use of “flash bangs” and observed U.S. Capitol police officers deploying tear gas to protect the Capitol. He also witnessed rioters being exposed to gas and oleoresin capsicum (‘OC’) spray, as well as the attempts made by other rioters to break windows. Additionally, he witnessed a police officer being pulled into the crowd, but did not make any efforts to assist the officer.
Yetman was among 15 defendants who were held in custody without being convicted of a crime.
Over the past three years, authorities have charged a staggering number of individuals, totaling at least 1,385, across nearly all 50 states for their involvement in the Capitol riot. Among these charges, almost 500 individuals have been accused of the serious offense of assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony crime. It is important to note that the investigation into this incident is still ongoing, with more developments expected in the future.
Yetman is expected to serve between 37 and 46 months in federal prison, according to prosecutors.