South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Civil Disorder During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

WASHINGTON - A South Carolina man pleaded guilty on Oct. 10, 2024 to a felony charge stemming from his conduct 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.

William Robert Norwood III, 41, of Greer, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols. Judge Nichols will sentence Norwood on Feb. 21, 2025.

According to court documents, Norwood drove from South Carolina to Washington D.C. to attend then-President Trump's speech on Jan. 6, 2021, near the Ellipse. After the rally, Norwood walked to the U.S. Capitol building and entered its restricted perimeter. Norwood ascended the partially covered stairs on the northwest side of the Capitol and ultimately entered the building through the northwest Senate Wing door at approximately 2:23 p.m.

Once inside, Norwood briefly entered an office across the hall from the Old Supreme Court Chamber. Norwood recorded a video of himself entering this office. In this video, Norwood can be heard saying, "Well we in this b- now. What now? This is our house," upon entering the office, and "Where you at Nancy?" upon leaving the office.

After leaving the office, Norwood made his way through the Crypt and ultimately toward the Rotunda. There, Norwood was part of a crowd of rioters making their way through Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office suite. As Norwood walked through the Speaker's wing, he took a paper coaster with the words "U.S. Congress" and the Congressional seal printed on it, which another rioter had thrown to him from a desk outside of Speaker Pelosi's offices.

Norwood then walked to the balcony outside the Speaker's chamber and recorded two videos of the crowd gathered outside on the west front of the Capitol building. In one of these videos, Norwood can be heard shouting, "It's our house b-." In the second, Norwood can be heard shouting, "The [inaudible] house! Go home police! Bye, you b-."

After leaving the balcony, Norwood entered one of Speaker Pelosi's offices for approximately 25 seconds. He then walked back through the Speaker's wing.

After leaving the Speaker's wing, Norwood walked back through the Rotunda and to the East Rotunda doors, which were being guarded from the inside by at least three U.S. Capitol Police officers. Norwood went to the front of the line of rioters that had gathered there and began banging on the doors in an attempt to open them.

Norwood yelled at officers to open the doors, but the officers repeatedly told Norwood and the others that the doors would not be opened. Norwood knew that the officers were attempting to keep the doors closed, yet he continued to push on the doors with his arms. At approximately 2:38 p.m., Norwood and the rioters behind him eventually pushed open the doors, which allowed hundreds of rioters to enter the Capitol building from the outside.

After participating in the breach of the doors, Norwood continued wandering around the Capitol building and recorded a one-minute video inside the Rotunda that showed a line of Metropolitan Police Department officers. During the video, Norwood can be heard saying, "Oh these a-, trying to push us out. . . . Should we take our house back? Our house. Y'all are a bunch of p-. It's about to go down bro." Norwood then turns the camera on himself and says, "It's about to go down. Cause I'm gonna go [unintelligible] guns or their asps and attack these m-f- later. No f- around, no no."

Norwood eventually left the Capitol through the East Rotunda door at approximately 2:59 p.m. After exiting the building, Norwood took a U.S. Capitol Police helmet and plate carrier from a bin outside the building.

The FBI arrested Norwood on Feb. 25, 2021, in South Carolina.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina provided valuable assistance.

This case was investigated by the FBI's Columbia and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by 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.