WASHINGTON — Two Utah men have been found guilty of charges related to the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.
Brady Knowlton of St. George and Gary Wilson of Salt Lake City were both convicted, along with a Colorado man, following a bench trial in U.S. District Court.
Knowlton, 43, was found guilty of felony obstruction of justice and a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, while Wilson was convicted of theft of government property, a misdemeanor offense.
On the day of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the two Utah men and the Colorado man, Patrick Montgomery, met at a Washington hotel and walked to a "Stop the Steal" rally near the Washington Monument, before heading to the Capitol and crossing a restricted perimeter.
Just after 2 p.m., Montgomery grabbed an officer's baton and the two wrestled for it on the ground with Knowlton and Wilson watching.
The three men then entered the Capitol and walked towards the Senate Gallery where Knowlton acknowledged saying, in substance, “We have a right to choose our electors. We’re not going to have communist China choose them for us. We’re not going to have the Democratic Party choose them for us.”
After entering the Senate Gallery, Wilson shouted, “Treason! Treason! Treason!” before taking a bag of government property containing escape hoods and protective equipment.
The three men then left the Senate Gallery and confronted a U.S. Capitol Police officer where Knowlton yelled at the officer, “This is not about us. This is bigger than me, it’s bigger than you. It’s about this – everyone’s right to self-government . . . We’re with you guys. You think these people in this building would fight for you?”
Following the confrontation with the officer, the three men left the Capitol. Knowlton and Wilson were arrested in Utah on April 7, 2021.
All three men will be sentenced on July 2.
