Jan. 6 Rioter Said to Have Instigated Breach Is Convicted

A Jan. 6 rioter who prosecutors argued was a key instigator that led to the takeover of the U.S. Capitol was convicted of multiple felonies on Friday, alongside four co-defendants.

Authorities long pointed to Ryan Samsel as the man whose actions were a tipping point that turned a rowdy pro-Donald Trump protest into a downright violent riot, with him being one of the first—and possibly the first—person to push through barricades and throw them at officers at what is known as the Peace Circle.

Samsel, a 39-year-old barber from Pennsylvania, was convicted Friday on federal assault charges and for obstructing the confirmation of the 2020 presidential election. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June, and Samsel could spend multiple years in prison.

Read more at The Daily Beast.