SC man who led mob during Jan. 6 Capitol riot and shouted ‘Where are you, Nancy’ pleads guilty

A 41-year-old Greer man who led rioters in the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol and shouted “Where are you, Nancy?” pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of obstructing law enforcement during the riot.

William “Robbie” Norwood III pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Judge Carl Nichols in U.S. District Court in Washington. Nichols will sentence Norwood on February 21.

The crime carries a maximum sentence of five years and a $250,000 fine, according to the plea agreement between Norwood and the government. The estimated sentencing guidelines in Norwood’s case indicate he could be sentenced to between eight and 14 months in prison. The estimated range of his fine is between $4,000 and $40,000.

Norwood is the 22nd South Carolinian to plead guilty to charges filed in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. A jury found another South Carolinian guilty. Charges against five other people are pending. Like many accused in the riot, Norwood was denounced by an acquaintance who was shocked by his actions after that acquaintance heard him boast about them. Norwood’s own videos were also evidence in the case.

Norwood, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, was in Washington to attend Trump’s Stop the Steal rally on January 6, 2021, when he joined rioters at the Capitol with the intention of disrupting a joint session of Congress, according to the U.S. Department of Justice and court records. At the time, Congress met to count electoral votes – a necessary step to confirm Joe Biden’s election as president.

Norwood led other rioters who pushed for the gates to be closed by police and eventually forced them open, an act that “allowed hundreds of rioters to enter the Capitol American from outside,” according to a statement of facts in his case.

During the riot, Norwood also took selfie videos of himself entering Capitol offices, including that of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and shouting things such as “Where are you in Nancy? and “Go home, police!” ” and “Goodbye, assholes.”

Norwood also recorded a minute-long video inside the Capitol rotunda that showed a line of Metropolitan Police officers.

“During the video, Norwood can be heard saying, ‘Oh, these a–, they’re trying to kick us out.’ . . . Should we take back our house? Our house. You’re all a bunch of p—s. It’s about to fall, brother. Norwood then turns the camera on himself and says, “She’s about to come down.” Because I’m going to go with (unintelligible) weapons or their asps and attack these m—f—s later. No, no, no,” according to a Department of Justice press release.

Norwood also took a U.S. Capitol Police helmet and plate carrier from a trash can outside the building. The helmet and plate carrier are valued at approximately $578, according to the statement of facts in the case.

Norwood lied to agents by claiming to have left the helmet and plate rack in a cabinet in a Washington hotel room when in fact he took the helmet and plate rack with him to South Carolina and hid them in a portable trailer that he parked. on a friend’s property, according to the statement of facts.

Norwood, arrested in February 2021, was one of the first South Carolinians charged following the Jan. 6 riots. Since then, 27 other people have been arrested.

Norwood was among the first rioters to breach the Capitol, entering the building at 2:23 p.m., just minutes after the Secret Service removed then-Vice President Pence from the Senate chamber.

Pence was at the Capitol that day to preside over the joint session of Congress. The electoral votes, which were counted later that night after a five-hour delay, showed Trump losing to Biden.

Despite more than 60 lawsuits in key states that determined no voter fraud occurred, and numerous recounts and audits of votes, there is no evidence of fraud significant enough to have swung the vote. election in favor of Trump. Trump, currently the Republican presidential candidate, continues to falsely claim he won the election and has indicated that if re-elected to the presidency he might release or pardon those convicted of the Jan. 6 riots.

In total, more than 1,532 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Capitol breach, including more than 571 people accused of assaulting or obstructing law enforcement, a felony, according to the Ministry of Justice.

The FBI investigation continues.