WASHINGTON, DC — A Wheat Ridge man has been arrested on multiple charges in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 breach at the U.S. Capitol.
Matthew James Melsen, 34, was arrested by FBI agents on Feb. 28 in Wheat Ridge, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
He faces felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. He has also been charged with multiple misdemeanors, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Melsen was identified in police body-worn camera footage from Jan. 6, 2021.
Around 2:15 p.m. that day, he was seen in video among a crowd of rioters near the bike rack barricades set up at the U.S. Capitol building on the West Plaza of Capitol grounds. In the video, Melsen was seen reaching over the barricades and pushing a Metropolitan Police Department officer, who pushed Melsen back into the crowd.
"Melsen then charged at the officer with both hands outstretched and pushed the officer in the chest. Melsen was again pushed back toward the crowd and was sprayed with OC spray," the DOJ said.
Melsen then moved back into the crowd.
Later that same day, he was spotted climbing onto the Inaugural stage scaffolding on the West Plaza of Capitol grounds. Shortly before 4 p.m., he was on the stage and was walking with a crowd toward the mouth of the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. The DOJ said this tunnel was where some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement happened that day.
A Metropolitan Police Department officer climbed on a ledge inside the tunnel to try to stop a rioter from climbing inside by prodding the person with a long stick. That rioter grabbed the stick. Melsen, who was nearby, also grabbed the stick, which broke. The rioters used the broken pieces to hit officers' shields while yelling "Let us in," the DOJ said.
When an officer tried to use his baton to stop the rioters, Melsen tried to grab the baton.
In the aftermath, Melsen was identified as #375 on the FBI’s website.
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The DOJ reported that more than 1,300 people have been charged for crimes related to the breach at the U.S. Capitol, including 469 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
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 was sentenced 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 Springs was 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 Park was 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 Springs was arrested on March 30, 2023 on felony and misdemeanor charges. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2023 to assaulting a law enforcement officer, and was sentenced on Jan. 30, 2024 to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $5,000 in fines and $2,000 in restitution.
- Logan Grover of Erie was 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. He pleaded 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 Peyton was 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 Springs was 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. She was sentenced to three years' probation, 60 hours of community service, a $5,000 fine and $500 restitution.
- Jennifer Horvath of Colorado Springs was 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. She was 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 County was 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.
- Matthew James Melsen, 34, of Wheat Ridge was arrested on Feb. 28, 2024 in Colorado. He faces the following charges: felony civil disorder and felony assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, as well as misdemeanors including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
- Patrick Montgomery of Douglas County was 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 was charged 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 and was sentenced to 45 days of incarceration and 26 months of probation in mid-August.
- Hunter Palm of Colorado Springs was 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 is accused of dragging a police officer down steps to be beaten by an American flag outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A federal judge denied him bail in April 2021. After the attack, prosecutors said he tried to fly to Switzerland.
- Timothy Williams of Trinidad was 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.
