Colorado Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement During the Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Press Release

WASHINGTON- A Colorado man was sentenced to prison today after he previously pleaded guilty 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.

Patrick Montgomery, 51, of Littleton, Colorado, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss.

Montgomery was previously convicted of felony offenses of obstruction of an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. Following the Supreme Court's decision in Fischer v. United States, the government voluntarily moved pre-sentencing to dismiss Montgomery's conviction on obstruction of an official proceeding.

According to court documents, on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Montgomery and co-defendants Brady Knowlton, and Gary Wilson met at the Yours Truly hotel in Washington, D.C., and walked to an area near the Washington Monument and the Ellipse to hear the speakers at the "Stop the Steal" rally. After the rally, the three men made their way to the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building, crossing over inside the restricted perimeter.

At approximately 2:02 p.m., Montgomery grabbed a law enforcement officer's baton and attempted to wrestle it away from the officer. The officer held onto the baton and fell to the ground with Montgomery. The two then attempted to wrestle control of the baton from each other while Knowlton and Wilson watched nearby. During the scuffle, Montgomery kicked the police officer in the chest.

After this incident, the three men ascended the Upper West Terrace Stairs with a mass of individuals and approached the Upper West Terrace Door. As they approached, the exterior double doors were propped open, people were screaming, and a loud alarm sounded as people were streaming into the Capitol building. Inside the doors, signage stated, "EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY." The three men entered the Capitol building via the Upper West Terrace Door at approximately 2:35 p.m.

After entering the building, the three men climbed the stairs to the second floor, entered the Rotunda, and climbed the stairs to the third floor. At about 2:40 p.m., the three were walking together in the hallway on the third floor towards the Senate Gallery, at which point Knowlton stated, in substance, "We have a right to choose our electors. We're not going to have communist China choose them for us. We're not going to have the Democratic Party choose them for us." Court documents say that Montgomery and Wilson were a few feet away from Knowlton when he made this statement.

At approximately 2:43 p.m., the three men entered the Senate Gallery, where they saw another rioter jump down to the Senate Floor.

The three men left the Senate Gallery and proceeded to the second floor to an area near the Senate Floor, where they confronted a U.S. Capitol Police officer. Knowlton yelled at the officer: "This is not about us. This is bigger than me, it's bigger than you. It's about this - everyone's right to self-government . . . We're with you guys. You think these people in this building would fight for you?" Montgomery yelled: "You gotta stop doing your job sometime and start being American. You gotta quit doing your job and be an American!" Wilson yelled: "We came all the way from our job to do your job, and the freaking Senators' job!"

After this confrontation, the defendants exited the Capitol building at approximately 2:53 p.m.

The FBI arrested Montgomery on Jan. 17, 2021, in Colorado.

Co-defendant Brady Knowlton is awaiting sentencing, and Gary Wilson was previously sentenced to 30 days incarceration followed by 12 months supervised release for his role in the events of the day.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney's Offices for the District of Colorado and Utah provided valuable assistance.

The FBI's Denver and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. The FBI listed Montgomery as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #459 in its seeking information photographs. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.

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.

Contact

Updated October 31, 2024