Missouri man pleads guilty to involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot

CENTRALIA, Mo. (KY3) - A man from Centralia, Missouri has pleaded guilty to his involvement in the January 6 U.S. Capitol riots in 2021.

According to a news release from the Department of Justice, 37-year-old Jerod Thomas Bargar pleaded guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. He is scheduled to be sentenced in November 2023.

Court documents say Bargar illegally brought a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol to Washington, D.C., and took the gun to a rally near the Ellipse and then onto restricted grounds of the U.S. Capitol. The release states Bargar was not licensed to carry a firearm in the District of Columbia.

The gun was recovered by law enforcement around 2:30 p.m. on January 6. Officers found it on the ground on the west side of the Capitol Building. The gun was found in a distinctive holster that displayed an image of the American flag and the words: “We The People” written on it.

Authorities were able to link the gun to Bargar through their investigation.

According to the DOJ, the charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, as well as financial penalties.

The DOJ says since the riot, more than 1,000 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

Of those charged, 26 are from Missouri, and four are from Arkansas. Here are some of our latest articles on those from our region: