A rioter who was seen kicking in a window of the US Capitol while wearing a jacket with his name and company phone number on it pleaded guilty Friday to the destruction of federal property, federal authorities said.
Troy Faulkner was caught on camera smashing a Capitol window with his boot on Jan. 6, 2021 while wearing a “Faulkner Painting” jacket that also displayed the phone number of his Columbus, Ohio, business.
Faulkner agreed to pay $10,560 in restitution to cover repairs for the damage and could face up to eight months in jail, his lawyer told NBC News.
Faulkner, 41, turned himself into authorities just days after the violent mob of former president Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying his electoral defeat.
At the time, he told the Columbus Patch website that he was caught up in the moment and became angry when police shot him with an unidentified object in the chest.
“It seemed the cops were antagonizing us and letting them straight into the building in the front so I believe it was all set up for the Trump people,” he reportedly said. “I knew I shouldn’t have kicked in the window. I was upset and wasn’t thinking rationally.”
More than 340 of the over 840 people arrested for storming the Capitol have pleaded guilty in connection with the riots.
On Monday, armed Texas militiaman Guy Reffitt received a more than seven-year prison sentence — the harshest punishment doled out in connection with the rampage to date.
With AP wires