Florida Man Sentenced for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

            WASHINGTON – A Florida man was sentenced in the District of Columbia on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, on two felony charges, including assaulting a federal officer, related to his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.           

            Kevin Louis Galetto, 63, of Merritt Island, Florida (formerly of Westminster, California), was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to 27 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. Galetto pleaded guilty on March 20, 2023, to civil disorder and assault of a federal officer, both felony offenses.      

            According to court documents, around 2:40 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, Galetto approached the Lower West Terrace tunnel entrance of the Capitol building wearing a black Trump baseball hat, a black beanie, a tan jacket, and a gray hoodie. Galetto was one of the first five individuals inside the tunnel and was met with a large police presence denying him and the larger crowd entrance into the Capitol building.  Galetto watched as rioters’ shattered the glass double doors separating them from the officers and charged the line of police. Galetto was at the front of the crowd in the tunnel and was among the first rioters to engage with police.

            Body-worn camera video footage shows Galetto in the tunnel with his arms extended and pressed up against the riot shields of a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer. At approximately 2:44 p.m., video footage shows Galetto’s body pressed up against officer shields and his involvement in a scuffle with one officer, which caused the officer to be knocked to the ground. That officer, having been knocked over by Galetto and others in the tunnel, was underneath the feet of people in the tunnel. The officer was only able to get up after he called out for help, and another officer stepped over him and helped him to his feet. Galetto, who had also fallen to the ground, was less than an arm’s length away from the officer but did not offer any assistance.

            After standing up, Galetto retreated from the tunnel. As he made his retreat, Galetto shouted to the crowd outside, “More people!” in an attempt to summon more rioters to the tunnel entrance to resist the officers. Galetto remained at the tunnel for over an hour and a half before re-entering the tunnel at 4:15 p.m. and taking part in one of the last pushes against the law enforcement line in the tunnel.

            Later that evening, Galetto sent out several text messages describing his participation in the day’s events, including, “I was at the front of the attempted breach. […] After Pence turned, croud (sic) was pissed-off. We fought hard today, made history. Sore as he’ll (sic). Was fighting with police” and “These politicians need to be overthrown. Pence is a trader (sic) […] Very sore. Was in the front line. […] Pence broke the last straw. […] Thanks, we’re done as a free country.”

            Galetto was arrested on April 23, 2021, in Westminster, California.

            The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and the Washington Field Office, which identified Galetto as #146 on its seeking information posters. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,146 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 398 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.