Former Californian faces 20 years for multiple convictions in January 6 coup d’é·tat attempt
A Florida man who was convicted yesterday could face up to a 20-year for his role in former President Donald Trump’s attempted coup d’é·tat.
John Herbert Strand, 39, of Naples, Florida, was found guilty by a jury of a total of five offenses, including one felony, in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. Strand lived in California at the time of his arrest on January 21, 2021.
Government evidence at the trial showed on Jan. 6, 2021, Strand and a co-defendant, Simone Gold, marched with a mob from a rally near the Ellipse to the U.S. Capitol, where they illegally entered the grounds. Strand, Gold, and others made their way to the east side of the Capitol, where rioters broke through a defensive line set up by law enforcement.
Strand and Gold then made their way up the stairs to the East Rotunda Doors as part of the insurrectionist mob. They were part of a mob outside the doors for approximately 20 minutes until a mob that breached the interior opened the doors.
The pair moved inside the Capitol at approximately 2:27 p.m., going directly towards the House Chamber, where police officers blocked them from entering the House Chamber, where members were still inside. At approximately 2:35 p.m., Strand and Gold were near the front of this group, and joined the mob, pushing past officers, including one who was injured during the surge.
The group was forced to leave that area at approximately 2:53 p.m. Before leaving the Capitol, Strand and Gold stopped in Statuary Hall, where Gold delivered a speech acknowledging that the rioters were in the Capitol to stop the certification.
Once outside, Gold again gave a speech, this time criticizing covid lockdowns. They left the building at approximately 3:16 p.m.
Gold, 56, also of Naples, Florida, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2022, to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. She was sentenced on June 16, 2022, to 60 days in jail, followed by 12 months of supervised release.
Strand pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was convicted of the felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding, as well as misdemeanor offenses 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.
The sentencing is on January 12, 2023. The felony charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties, while the four misdemeanor offenses carry a combined statutory maximum of three years of incarceration and potential financial penalties.
In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
