FL Couple Gets Prison Time For Roles In Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Riot

WASHINGTON, DC — An Ocala couple will spend time behind bars for being part of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Jamie N. Buteau, 50, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for the felony offense of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers.

Jennifer Peck Buteau, 46, was sentenced to 90 days in prison on a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

The couple pleaded guilty to the charges July 24 in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The FBI arrested the pair on June 23, 2021, in Ocala.

In addition to his prison sentence, Jamie must serve 24 months of supervised release and pay $2,000 in restitution, the DOJ said.

The Buteaus traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, to protest the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election.

They went into the building just before 2:30 p.m. that day through the Senate Wing door, which had been breached by a crowd of rioters. Once inside, they moved with a large mob to a lobby separating the Crypt from the Capitol Visitors Center, the DOJ said.

After being in the building for about five minutes, the Buteaus were at the front of a mob that rushed to keep police officers from pulling down a set of rolling doors that would have helped to secure parts of the building.

While Jennifer and other rioters hurried to prop up the rolling doors with chairs and trash cans, Jamie picked up a folding chair and threw it in the direction of police, the DOJ said. The chair hit a wall and ricocheted into the arm of a U.S. Capitol police officer.

They then followed, with the mob behind them, the fleeing police officers.

The couple walked around the Capitol Visitor Center, “despite the numerous and obvious signs that they should not be there,” the department said.

They left the building at 2:45 p.m. but lingered on restricted Capitol grounds for 20 to 30 minutes. During this time, they demeaned police officers “who were trying to do their jobs,” according to the DOJ.

After police pepper sprayed the rioters around 3 p.m., Jennifer spat twice at officers, while her husband “looked on approvingly and video recorded that encounter” on his phone, the department said. He later climbed on top of an armored police vehicle.