Thirty-five-year-old Patrick Stedman of Haddonfield was convicted of felony charges. He will pay $22,000 in fines and serve another three years of supervised release after his sentence is completed.
By Matt Skoufalos | September 8, 2023
Screenshot of a video tweeted by Patrick Stedman from the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot. Credit: Twitter.com.
A Haddonfield man who was convicted of felony charges in the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol breach will serve four years in federal prison.
Patrick Alonzo Stedman, 35, was convicted of felony obstruction of an official proceeding, namely disrupting the Congressional counting of electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.
Stedman was also convicted of four misdemeanors related to his actions that day, including:
- entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds
- disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
- disorderly conduct in a Capitol building
- parading, demonstrating or picketing inside a Capitol building
On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell sentenced Stedman to 48 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and a $20,000 fine.
According to the Department of Justice, “Stedman used his substantial online presence to encourage and organize other men to come to Washington, D.C., on January 6.”
Among his actions that day, authorities described the following:
In his own words, recorded on video later that day, Stedman said he was in the “first wave” that “climbed up the back part of the Capitol building” and “broke down the doors.” Along with two of his followers, Stedman illegally entered the U.S. Capitol shouting, “Storming the Capitol!” and “Let’s f****** go!” as he advanced forward.
While inside the Capitol for over 40 minutes, Stedman was part of a disorderly mob that overran police lines in the Crypt. Stedman entered the chambers of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and roamed the halls and offices in the Speaker’s Suite. He also took selfie photos of himself on the Speaker’s Balcony.
Patrick Stedman tweet from January 6, 2021. Credit: Twitter.com
Stedman proceeded to the main door to the House Chamber, where he yelled, “Let us in!” and “Break it down!” as other rioters banged on the door, the window of which had already been broken. When Stedman learned that a rioter had been shot, he shouted threats at officers of the U.S. Capitol Police, including, “You killed one of us? You’re done!”
After he was expelled from the Capitol building by police, Stedman recorded a video for his followers, explaining that he had “taken action” to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the presidential election and that the “rats” – as he referred to members of Congress – had “scurried into the tunnels” to escape. He posted on social media that “patriots” had stolen the hard drives from the Capitol and, “The Storm is Here.”
Federal prosecutors reported that Stedman’s actions were documented on photos and videos from body-worn police cameras, open-source video cameras, U.S. Capitol surveillance footage, and messages he posted to his social media accounts.
FBI agents arrested Stedman in Haddonfield just 15 days after the January 6 incident at the U.S. Capitol. He was convicted June 9, 2023, and sentenced September 8.
Stedman is one among more than 1,100 people from all 50 U.S. states to have been charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol breach, and investigations into the event remain ongoing. Authorities invite anyone with information related to the incident to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
