WASHINGTON — A federal court filing shows a Moorhead man plans to plead guilty for his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Jordan Kenneth Stotts’ defense attorney, Michelle Peterson, told the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia that her client wants to enter the plea, according to a court document filed Thursday, June 24.
Stotts, 32, was slated to appear in federal court Friday on charges connected to a riot where a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol Building in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election in Joe Biden’s favor over incumbent Donald Trump.
Now that Stotts plans to plead guilty, his trial has been canceled. He hadn’t signed a plea agreement as of Friday, but a plea hearing is scheduled for July 13.
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Stotts was caught on camera walking around the rotunda after rioters invaded the Capitol, according to a search warrant. He also took video showing the chaos inside the building.
He published to Facebook posts about him and others "scaling a wall as we broke into the U.S. (Capitol) to strike fear into the sold out Congress," court documents alleged.
"They work for us and have no right telling us what we can and can’t do!" one of Stotts’ posts said. "I’m sick of it and so are the Patriots! With God on our side we will prevail!"
Rioters falsely claimed the election was stolen from Trump, though no evidence has proven that widespread fraud impacted the results.
Lawmakers and staff evacuated Congress before rioters reached the Senate and House floors. Congress members returned later that night to certify the presidential election results.
Stotts is among a group of more than 500 people who have been charged in connection to the Jan. 6 insurrection.
He faces charges of 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, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building.
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Thursday's court filing did not specify which charges Stotts plans to plead guilty to.
