Two from Texas and Louisiana Sentenced for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Press Release

WASHINGTON - Two men from Texas and Louisiana were sentenced today on felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting law enforcement, during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their 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.

Daniel Page Adams, 45, of Goodrich, Texas, and Cody Page Carter Connell, 30, of Jena, Louisiana, were each sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman to 26 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.

Adams and Connell were each found guilty of three felonies, including civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, and four misdemeanors following a stipulated bench trial before Judge Friedman. The obstruction of an official proceeding charge was later dismissed.

According to court documents, Adams and Connell, cousins from Louisiana and Texas, traveled from their homes to Washington, D.C., to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021. After the rally, the pair made their way to the west front of the United States Capitol building, the scene of some of the most serious violence, mob assaults, and breaches of police lines and the building itself.

After moving to the west front of the Capitol, the pair made their way to the front of the crowd of rioters. Here, the rioters overwhelmed the officers at the base of the Northwest Stairs, and the crowd, including Adams and Connell, began to flow into the area underneath a scaffolding that had been constructed for the upcoming Inauguration.

At about 2:08 p.m., the two were at the very front of the crowd of rioters on the Northwest Stairs, standing mere feet away from law enforcement officers holding the mob back. From their position at the head of the mob, the pair could see that the officers were being harassed and assaulted by the crowd. Rather than turning around upon seeing officers under assault, the men pressed ahead.

Court documents say that two United States Capitol Police (USCP) officers were standing immediately in front of Adams and Connell on the Northwest Stairs, holding up riot shields to keep the rioters at bay. Adams, seeing his way blocked by these officers, looked to the other rioters around him and said, "Let's go. Are you ready to push? You ready to push?" On Adams' signal, the crowd began to push against the officers. Adams then harassed the officers, shouting, "Hey, you're not even a f- American!" Shortly after, another rioter sprayed a stream of chemical irritant, striking an officer, and Adams, taking full advantage of the disarray, yelled to the crowd, "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" The two men then crashed into the officers and began to push against them. Outnumbered, the officers retreated, with Adams and Connell and the mob behind them following close behind.

Adams then ran up the stairs with the crowd following close behind and encouraged other rioters to do the same, by yelling and shouting, "C'mon! Let's go! C'mon!" Adams then continued his charge up the stairs and into the courtyard even after a police officer attempted to slow his progress by striking him in the head with a baton. Within minutes, the crowd, including Adams and Connell, had made its way to the Northwest Courtyard and the Senate Wing Door.

At about 2:13 p.m., Adams and Connell were outside of the Senate Wing Door, filming other rioters smashing windows on either side of the door. Adams, with blood streaming down his head from the baton strike, then recorded himself with his cell phone and watched other rioters kick and shatter the windows on both sides of the Senate Wing Door. In the recording, Adams states, "This is the Capitol building." Then, watching the first rioters enter the building through shattered windows, shouted, "This is my house!"

Less than thirty seconds after the first breach of the Capitol, Adams and Connell entered the building through the now-open Senate Wing Door. Court documents say that Connell was the third rioter to pass through and was among the first twenty rioters to enter the Capitol that day. Adams was one of the first rioters among the many hundreds who followed Connell through the now-open door. Adams entered the building approximately ten seconds after his cousin. The pair then exited the Capitol via the Senate Wing Door between 2:16 p.m. and 2:17 p.m. and would later announce to other rioters outside they had done their part and cleared a way for others to breach the building.

As the men returned home, they took to social media to boast about their exploits at the Capitol. Adams wrote, "Just to get things straight. It wasn't ANTIFA or BLM. It was pissed off American patriots" and "Me and my cousin led the charge. We were the first ones in[.] Don't show anyone this picture. […] We were the ones who broke through the last barricade." Likewise, Connell wrote, "We were the first ones to breach the Capitol today. We got his (sic) with tear gas rubber bullets and batons. You damn right we got their attention. That was the whole point of what we did today. And today was just the start of something much bigger."

Adams and Connell were arrested on Jan. 16, 2021, by the FBI.

This case was 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 Offices for the Eastern District of Texas and Western District of Louisiana.

This case was investigated by the FBI's Washington, Dallas, and New Orleans Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 47 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,572 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 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.

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Updated December 10, 2024