• A Tallahassee man has been sentenced to prison for his role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
• Raymund Joseph Cholod was sentenced to 40 months in prison and 36 months probation.
• Read the press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia to learn how this ruling came about.

PRESS RELEASE:

A Florida man was sentenced to prison today after previously pleading guilty to a felony charge related to his conduct during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to determine and count electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Raymund Joseph Cholod, 54, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and 36 months probation by U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta. Cholod pleaded guilty to assault, resisting, or obstructing certain officers on February 12, 2024.

THE SUPREME COURT RECENTLY DECIDED ON A CASE RELATED TO THE AURA SETTINGS. WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:

Supreme Court makes it harder to prosecute defendants for obstruction during Capitol riots

According to court documents, Cholod was part of a mob of rioters who illegally engaged in a physical confrontation with police officers in and around the Lower West Terrace Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol. The tunnel was created by building a stage for the upcoming presidential inauguration and was the scene of some of the most brutal attacks on police on Jan. 6. Over the course of more than two hours, members of the mob threw objects at police, hit them with objects, sprayed them with chemical irritants, shoved police, and stole items from officers defending the tunnel.

According to court documents, Cholod was among the first group of rioters to enter the tunnel at around 2:41 p.m. and quickly rose to the front of the mob that was confronting a police line. Meanwhile, the mob, including Cholod, physically pushed against the police line inside the tunnel in a coordinated “heave-ho” movement. According to court documents, Cholod pushed against a nearby police officer despite the officer's orders to “hold up” and briefly held onto the edge of a U.S. Capitol Police riot shield.

Cholod exited the tunnel at about 2:54 p.m., but remained in the immediate area on Lower West Terrace. At about 4:30 p.m., Cholod picked up a long black stick from the ground and threw it into the tunnel entrance, where he knew police officers were standing by and attempting to keep rioters away from the Capitol. According to court documents, the stick was capable of causing great bodily harm.

The FBI arrested Cholod on November 3, 2023, in Miami, Florida.

HEAR FROM A POLICE OFFICER WHO RESPONDED TO THE 2021 RIOTS:

Police officer says he was hit with his own baton during Capitol riot

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Florida provided valuable assistance.

This case was investigated by the FBI's Tampa and Washington field offices. Cholod was identified as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #260 in the FBI's intelligence-gathering photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 41 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,450 people have been charged with crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol in nearly all 50 states, including more than 500 people with assault or obstructing law enforcement, a felony. Investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with information can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.