FL Woman Gets Prison Time For Role In Jan. 6 Capitol Attack

WASHINGTON, DC — An Osceola County woman will spend just over a year in prison for her role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Leslie Gray, 57, of St. Cloud, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. A judge also ordered Gray to 12 months of supervised release and to pay more than $2,000 in fines.

Gray pleaded guilty in June to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding, prosecutors said.

According to court documents, Gray traveled from her home to Washington, D.C., two days before the attack on the Capitol. Authorities said she went to the Capitol on Jan. 6 and joined a crowd gathered near the East Front of the building, prosecutors said.

After protesting for approximately an hour, prosecutors said she joined the crowd as it surged past police barricades and ignored orders by Capitol police to stop. According to court documents, Gray livestreamed her activity in and around the Capitol and recorded other rioters picking up and removing police barricades.

Once inside the Capitol, Gray filmed herself inside the Rotunda, stating, "I am in Congress. This is our house. This is our house! We've taken it. We've taken it. This is our house," according to prosecutors.

While inside the Capitol, prosecutors said Gray repeatedly called police officers "traitors" and physically forced her way past them as they attempted to stop her from entering parts of the building.

A police officer forcibly removed Gray from the building around 3 p.m., prosecutors said. After exiting the Capitol, Gray recorded another livestream video on the Capitol steps, where she stated, "We stormed the Capitol today… This revolution that in earnest began today. We will take back our country from the communists…American patriots stormed the Capitol today. I am an American patriot. I stormed the Capitol today."

Gray was arrested in Florida in June of 2o22.

In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.