Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

WASHINGTON - A Virginia man pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Lewis Wayne Snoots, 59, of Louisa, Virginia, pleaded guilty to a single felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers before U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. Judge Friedrich will sentence Snoots on Jan. 17, 2025.

According to court documents, by approximately 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, a contingent of United States Capitol Police (USCP) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers had established a police line at one of the two glass doorways inside the Lower West Terrace Tunnel in order to prohibit the mob from making its way inside the Capitol. The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th.

Around 3:14 p.m., a rioter, later identified as Snoots, entered the Tunnel, wearing a gas mask, and pushed forward through the crowd to reach the front of the police line. Over the next few minutes, Snoots, along with other rioters, attempted to overpower the police line, making efforts to force their way into the Capitol building.

As tensions escalated, another rioter assaulted officers using a USCP riot shield, with Snoots aiding the attack by applying force to the shield. At 3:17 p.m., when officers attempted to regain control of the shield, Snoots passed it back to other rioters, allowing them to continue using it against the police.

At approximately 3:18 p.m., another rioter wrapped his arm around the neck of an MPD officer at the front of the police line and dragged the officer into the crowd outside the Tunnel, shouting, "Hey! I got one!" As seen in video footage, Snoots moved towards the commotion, placed his hand on the officer's back, and continued to maintain physical contact as rioters pulled the officer further into the mob.

Once outside the Tunnel, the MPD officer endured a series of brutal assaults, including being tased, physically attacked, and robbed of their police badge and radio. Footage shows another rioter attempting to seize the officer's service weapon while shouting threats, and another rioter repeatedly tased the officer on the back of the neck. Throughout this encounter, Snoots used both of his hands to partially restrain the officer's right arm. Snoots actions were nonconsensual and hindered and impaired the officer's ability to defend themselves against the continuous onslaught of assaults inflicted by other rioters and to protect their service weapon from rioters. As a result of the assault, the officer sustained significant injuries, including pain from repeated taser shocks, which left burn marks and caused the officer to lose consciousness for over two minutes. Following the attack, the officer experienced ongoing physical and cognitive challenges, including neck pain, memory difficulties, and anxiety.

After these assaults, and while still on the U.S. Capitol grounds within the restricted area, Snoots gave a video- and audio-recording interview, in which he stated: "I'm fed up with it, everybody is fed up with it. They have tear-gassed our ass off of the Capitol steps, but it's not over. What they don't understand is it's just starting. Every political a- up in that place is now going to have a target on their back everywhere they go."

The FBI arrested Snoots on Sept. 5, 2023,

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

This case is being investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force, which identified Snoots as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #113 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Richmond Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.