Four men described as first to breach the restricted perimeter at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 riot, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the attack.
The men -- 34-year-old Stephen Randolph of Harrodsburg, Kentucky; 31-year-old James Grant of Cary, North Carolina; 28-year-old Jason Blythe of Fort Worth, Texas; and 38-year-old Paul Johnson of Lanexa, Virginia -- learned their fate Thursday after being previously convicted of civil disorder.
Randolph was sentenced to 8 years in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Grant was sentenced to 36 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Blythe was sentenced to 30 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Johnson was sentenced to five years of probation, conditions of which include: intermittent confinement on the weekends for the first year, followed by two years of home and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution.
A fifth defendant, 40-year-old Ryan Samsel of Bristol, Pennsylvania, will be sentenced in February 2025.
Samsel and Randolph were found guilty of assaulting Officer C.E. with a deadly or dangerous weapon and inflicting bodily injury (a metal crowd control barrier). Grant, Johnson and Blythe were found guilty of assaulting Officer D.C. with a deadly or dangerous weapon (a metal crowd control barrier).
Randolph was convicted of an additional felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer. Samsel was also convicted of additional felony charges of civil disorder, assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon (a wooden plank).
According to evidence presented during the trial, the group led the initial attack on United States Capitol Police (USCP) officers and paved the way for thousands of rioters to storm the Capitol grounds.
The Justice Department said Samsel was the first person to breach the restricted perimeter on the Capitol grounds by opening a section of bike rack barricades that were reinforced and marked with signs that read "Area Closed By Order of the United States Capitol Police Board." The others followed closely behind.
"Samsel and Grant then began to forcibly push and pull on the second barricade while officers held it in place," the department said. "Johnson, Grant and Samsel joined Randolph in lifting the linked metal bike rack barricade off the ground. Blythe moved forward and grabbed the barricade with the other four defendants, and the five drove the metal bike rack barricade into a line of USCP officers."
One officer was thrown backward and lost consciousness after slamming their head. Another officer was driven several feet backward until they hit the stairwell and handrail behind them.
"After the five defendants pushed the metal bike rack barricade into the USCP officers, Randolph jumped over the barricade and grabbed an officer. By this point, the barricades were down, and the officers outmanned," the department said. "The defendants and the rest of the rioters quickly overwhelmed the police line, and the USCP officers retreated backward toward the Capitol building."
Authorities say the five men "continued to fuel the riot" as it advanced and remained at the Capitol for hours.
"Samsel assaulted other officers, Johnson incited the crowd over a megaphone, and Grant entered the Capitol building, while Blythe and Randolph climbed to the Upper West Terrace," the department said.
Samsel was identified as BOLO #51, Grant #50, Johnson #49, Randolph #168, and Blythe #52 on the FBI's seeking information photos.
In the 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.