Florida man sentenced to three years in prison for Jan. 6 riots

A Tallahassee man has been sentenced to nearly three and a half years in federal prison for his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Raymund Joseph Cholod, 54, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta in Washington, DC, to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of probation.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, he pleaded guilty in February to assaulting, resisting, or obstructing officers' work.

The FBI arrested Cholod in Miami in November 2023 – making him one of thousands who face consequences for their involvement in the infamous Capitol occupation and riots.

“In the 41 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,450 people in nearly all 50 states have been charged with crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 people with assault or obstruction of law enforcement, a crime,” the U.S. Attorney's Office said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

Background to the arrest:A Tallahassee man was arrested for attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and assaulting police officers, according to federal authorities

Although the press release lists him as a Tallahassee resident, the government's sentencing memorandum filed last month states that Cholod “currently works at McDonald's in Tampa and lives in a homeless shelter, although he owns two properties in New York and Florida.”

It continues: “He has a history of mental illness (and) no criminal history other than convictions for traffic violations. Cholod appears to have enjoyed a stable upbringing, free from poverty, abuse or neglect. He had every opportunity to make other choices on January 6, 2021, but he chose to drive to the Capitol and attack police for more than two hours, all because he was angry about the outcome of an election.”

Cholod was part of the first group of rioters

On January 6, 2021, Cholod was part of a mob of rioters that gathered in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel leading to the U.S. Capitol, according to the press release.

At around 2:40 p.m., Cholod was one of the first groups of rioters in the tunnel, pushed his way forward and confronted the police.

“Over a period 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 police defending the tunnel,” the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Court records show that Cholod was responsible for throwing a long stick directly at the line of police officers.

“He pointed his finger at the police officers and yelled at them. He also shouted, among other things, 'This is our house… This is our (expletive) house… You stole it and you know it. You (expletive) stole it,'” court documents say.

Confidential source leads to arrest

As previously reported, in February 2022, the FBI received a tip from a confidential source linking Cholod to a motel in St. Petersburg.

FBI agents interviewed employees of the unnamed motel. After presenting surveillance photos from the U.S. Capitol, two employees said he had been a guest there in 2019.

A former direct supervisor of Cholod was later contacted and identified him as the man in the U.S. Capitol surveillance photos.

Breaking and trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.

csibon

Florida man sentenced to three years in prison for Jan. 6 riots

Anna Harden

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Related Posts

Two serious accidents on the same road in New Hampshire are being investigated

Train derailment in North Dakota: Several wagons carrying hazardous goods are on fire

Montana adds Monmouth to 2028 football schedule

Anna Harden

Leave a Reply Cancel reply