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Press Release

West Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge for Offenses Committed During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia
Defendant Was Member of West Virginia House of Delegates

            WASHINGTON – A West Virginia man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

            Derrick Evans, 36, of Prichard, West Virginia, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to a felony charge of civil disorder. According to court documents, on Jan. 6, Evans – then a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates - made his way to the East Side of the Capitol, where he observed the crowd greatly grow in size. At about 1:45 p.m., he saw and video-recorded rioters overwhelming law enforcement and breaching the barriers blocking the East Plaza. He followed the crowd toward the Capitol building, going to the East Rotunda doors. There, rioters screamed at, pushed, pulled, and otherwise assaulted law enforcement attempting to secure the building.

            In a video that Evans live-streamed to his public Facebook account and later deleted, he was approximately 20 feet away from the Rotunda Doors before they were breached. He narrated what he saw and heard, making remarks such as “Here we go! Here we go! Open the doors,” and “The door’s cracked We’re goin’ in!” Once he made it through the doors, Evans exclaimed, “We’re in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!” Evans entered the Capitol at approximately 2:40 p.m. He walked through the Rotunda and Statuary Hall and left the building approximately 10 minutes later.

            Evans was arrested on Jan. 8, 2021. He faces up to five years in prison and a potential fine of up to $250,000. He is to be sentenced June 22, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Charleston, West Virginia Resident Agency of its Pittsburgh Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 14 months since Jan. 6, more than 775 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 245 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

 

Updated March 18, 2022

Topic
Violent Crime
Press Release Number: 22-72