Illinois Capitol Rioter, Ex-CEO Gets Jail Time In Jan. 6 Breach

SCHAUMBURG, IL — The former CEO of a Schaumburg-based tech company was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment Friday for his part in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Riot. Bradley Rukstales, 53, of Inverness, who lost his job at Cogensia earlier this year, pled guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, according to court records.

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Rukstales was also ordered to pay $500 in restitution. He pled guilty in August to knowingly parading and picketing inside the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 insurrection. He is the first Illinoisan to be sentenced for their involvement in the riots that led to the deaths of five people and an estimated $30 million in damage.

On Jan. 6, Rukstales traveled from Illinois to attend a President Donald Trump rally. Following the rally, and by the time Rukstales entered the Capitol, U.S. Capitol Police officers had already been under attack by rioters outside the building and fell back to a makeshift recovery area they had established in the Capitol Crypt, according to court records.

Rioters also breached that recovery area and began throwing objects and unknown liquid substances at the officers. The officers retreated down a stairwell to the CVC, which is also part of the Capitol. Some rioters threw chairs at the officers, including Rukstales at around 2:30 p.m., according to prosecutors. By the time Rukstales threw the chair, the officers were dozens of feet away from him and were not in danger of being hit.

Rukstales eventually made his way near the end of the corridor, where other rioters also gathered there and met the police line. The officers issued commands for the rioters to leave the building, according to court records When rioters refused, the officers began arresting individuals who had unlawfully entered the building, including Rukstales.

Rukstales was fired from Cogensia one day after he was spotted on Capitol grounds. The company said his actions were inconsistent with its values.

"I am sorry for my actions that day and accept the court's decision," Rukstales said in a social media post Friday on Twitter. "I have come to realize the weight of my actions, and immensely regret following others into the Capitol. As a patriotic citizen, I hope and pray that the people of our nation will move forward united by the many commonalities we share."

Rukstales was initially charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, but later the charges were reduced to knowingly parading, demonstrating and picketing inside the Capitol with a maximum penalty of six months in a federal prison and a $5,000 fine.