San Diegan pleads guilty in January 6 Capitol breach case

A San Diego-based founder of a local security company pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Jonathan Humphreys admitted to entering the Capitol building through a broken window and refusing to exit when officers attempted to push him and others out of the Rotunda, according to court documents.

Humphreys, who was seen on surveillance footage captured by cameras throughout the Capitol, pleaded guilty to counts of disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He is expected to be sentenced in February by a federal judge in Washington, DC.

Investigators interviewed Humphreys in November 2021 and he explained that he and several of his employees were in Washington on January 6 to work on behalf of his company, Humphreys National Security Co.

He declined to provide further details about the nature of his business deal in Washington, citing a nondisclosure agreement. However, he said he had “plans” in case someone entered the Capitol building, but “the plans changed several times,” according to court records.

According to a statement of offense – a court document that outlines the facts surrounding a defendant’s guilty plea – Humphreys attended a rally on the National Mall to protest the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election and “knew that Congress was in session that day for this. aim.”

After the rioters broke through the barricades and entered the Capitol, Humphreys joined them and then jumped through a broken window next to the Senate wing doors, according to the document.

“When he entered the building, an alarm was going off very loudly. Humphreys knew he did not have the legal authority to enter the building,” the document states.

He walked through different parts of the building and ended up in the Rotunda, where a line of officers was trying to push the crowd of rioters out of the building. The ticket states that Humphreys turned his back on the officers and refused to move, forcing the officers to push him and the others away.

Originally published: October 23, 2024 at 1:08 p.m.