Virginia couple pleads guilty to misdemeanor in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

The husband and wife are third, fourth to plead guilty in incident. Over 400 people were charged in connection with the incident.

Published: June 15, 2021 12:46pm

Updated: June 15, 2021 2:06pm

A Virginia couple has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges related to their actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The couple, Jessica and Joshua Bustle, of Bristow, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to one misdemeanor charge: demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Under a deal with prosecutors, the couple only pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor out of the four charged against them. The charge carries a possible jail sentence of six months and up to $5,000 in fines.

"There’s no guarantee what the sentence will be in this case," Judge Thomas Hogan told the couple during the hearing.

Hogan also said he will set a sentencing date for them in four to six weeks, according to Politico

On Jan. 6, Jessica Bustle posted on Facebook: "Pence is a traitor. We stormed the capital. An unarmed peaceful woman down the hall from us was shot in the neck by cops. It's insane here….Pray for America!!!!"

The couple said they were not originally planning on going to the riot at the capitol but decided to enter the building after they left an anti-vaccination protest they had planned on attending.

They are the third and fourth people, respectively, to plead guilty in relation to the riot.

The first, being Jon Schaffer, a heavy metal guitarist and member of the right-wing militia group the Oath Keepers, in April. While the second person to plead guilty was Paul Hodgkins, a Florida man who went onto the Senate floor during the chaos.

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