WASHINGTON, DC — A Colorado Springs man was sentenced in connection with his actions on Jan. 6, 2021 during the U.S. Capitol breach.
Hunter Palm of Colorado Springs initially pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, but later took a plea deal. He agreed to plead guilty to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building/grounds, which is a misdemeanor. As part of the plea deal, all other charges were dropped.
He was sentenced to 36 months of probation, $500 in restitution, and $25 special assessment.
According to court documents from his case file, the FBI obtained a letter from a witness on Jan. 8, 2021 identifying Palm as one of the people who had entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The witness was a family member of Palm's. Palm had allegedly called the family member and explained how he walked around the building, explored a conference room and tried to climb out of a broken window, the document reads.
One month after the U.S. Capitol breach, FBI agents interviewed Palm, who had legal counsel present. He admitted to entering the building and gave the FBI a flash drive containing visual content from that day. He also brought the clothing he had been wearing that day.
Palm was seen on surveillance video walking around the building and holding up his phone, like he was recording the scene. He entered the Speaker's Conference Room, where he found an open laptop. He is heard on a recording asking, "Who's good at hacking?" according to the documents.
Palm was arrested by FBI Denver on May 12, 2021.
More than 1,100 people have been charged for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-225-5324 or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Colorado people involved on Jan. 6, 2021 who are facing federal charges or have been sentenced:
- Todd Branden Casey of Denver was arrested on Aug. 30 in Georgetown, Colorado. He faces felony charges of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, plus multiple misdemeanor charges.
- Jacob Clark of Colorado Springs (previously lived in Trinidad)was arrested in April 2021 on multiple charges in connection to the Jan. 6 riot. He demanded police officers to stand down during the attack. He was sentenced on Oct. 30, 2023 to nearly three years in prison and a year of supervised release.
- Glen Wes Lee Croy, of Colorado Springs,pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing inside the Capitol in August 2021. He wassentenced in November to 90 days of house arrest along with 14 days in a community correctional facility. He called himself an idiot.
- Tyler Earl Ethridge of Colorado Springswas arrested in July 2022 in Denver and faces six federal charges for his participation in the riot. He is a pastor who graduated from Charis Bible College in Woodland Park.
- Robert Gieswein of Woodland Parkwas arrested and faced multiple charges in January 2021 in connection to the Jan. 6 riot, including assault on an officer "with a spray canister, temporary barrier, and baseball bat," according to his arrest affidavit.He pleaded guilty to a felony charge in early March 2023.He was sentenced to 48 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.
- Jonathan David Grace of Colorado Springswas arrested on March 30, 2023 on felony and misdemeanor charges. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2023 to assaulting a law enforcement officer.
- Logan Grover of Eriewas charged in April 2021 with disruptive conduct in a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds, and demonstrating in a capitol building. Hepleaded guilty in July 2022. He served in the Army Reserve for nearly 10 years and was deployed to Iraq,according to The Denver Post. He was sentenced to a month of house arrest and two years' probation in February 2023.
- Thomas Patrick Hamner of Peytonwas arrested and charged in November 2021. Videos allegedly showed him fighting with Capitol and Metropolitan Police. In September 2022,he was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
- Lisa Ann Homer of Colorado Springswas arrested in November 2021 in Colorado Springs. She faces charges of illegally entering the capitol, disorderly and disruptive conduct on capitol grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building. Shewas sentenced to three years' probation, 60 hours of community service, a $5,000 fine and $500 restitution.
- Jennifer Horvath of Colorado Springswas arrested and charged in May 2022 on multiple federal charges. She was located after FBI agents linked her to her boyfriend Glen Wes Lee Croy (listed above), who was also arrested, charged and sentenced for his involvement. Shewas sentenced in November 2022 to 36 months of probation, including 90 days of home confinement and 14 days at a residential facility, plus a $500 restitution.
- Klete Keller, an Olympian from Colorado Springs, pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding after storming the U.S. Capitol in September 2021. He faces 21 to 27 months in prison. He was sentenced to 6 months of home detention and 3 years’ probation.
- Avery Carter MacCracken of San Miguel Countywas charged in December 2021 with assaulting officers in the Jan. 6 riot. He was arrested in Norwood on six federal charges. He was captured on videos and in photos fighting with U.S. Capitol Police officers.He pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer on Oct. 20, 2023.
- Patrick Montgomery of Douglas Countywas charged in January 2021 with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. According to an affidavit for his arrest, federal investigators were tipped off by someone who saw Montgomery in photos from inside the Capitol posted to Facebook. He pleaded not guilty.
- Daniel Michael Morrissey wascharged in federal court in November 2021 for illegally entering the U.S. Capitol. He pleaded guilty to disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds andwas sentenced to 45 days of incarceration and 26 months of probation in mid-August.
- Hunter Palm of Colorado Springswas arrested in May 2021 after he allegedly entered U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office on Jan. 6. He was identified to federal investigators by a family member. He was arrested in May 2021 and indicted the following month. He initially pleaded not guilty to all counts before taking a plea deal. He was sentenced in January 2024 to 36 months of probation.
- Jeffrey Sabol of Jefferson County isaccused of dragging a police officer down steps to be beaten by an American flag outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A federal judgedenied him bail in April 2021. After the attack, prosecutors said he tried to fly to Switzerland.
- Timothy Williams of Trinidadwas charged in June 2021 with multiple federal crimes. FBI agents found Williams on videos of the rioters inside the Capitol that day.
- Eric Zeis, of Monument, was arrested on Nov. 13, 2023 and faces felony and misdemeanor charges after reportedly storming the U.S. Capitol with hundreds of other Trump supporters.
- Justin Schulze, of Colorado Springs, was arrested on Nov. 13, 2023 and faces felony and misdemeanor charges after reportedly storming the U.S. Capitol with hundreds of other Trump supporters.
