HoCo Man Pleads Guilty To Involvement In U.S. Capitol Riot

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A 36-year-old Columbia man who livestreamed himself inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for entering the building.

Andrew Ryan Bennett posted to Facebook that “chaos” was coming to Washington that day, and he filmed live videos from inside the Capitol, according to The Baltimore Sun. He also tweeted that he would be in D.C. on Jan. 6 "fighting for my freedom."

However, Bennett's plea agreement clarified that he "admonished others not to be destructive inside the Capitol.” His plea agreement also says there is no evidence that he was "violent or destructive on the grounds of or inside the Capitol." Bennett turned himself in to the FBI in January.

During the riot, Bennett wore a hat sporting the slogan of the Proud Boys, which The Baltimore Sun said is a far-right group. He also chanted "break it down" outside the speaker’s lobby close to where a woman was later shot and killed, prosecutors said. A search of his home uncovered the same hat seen in his livestreams, according to WJZ. Bennett faces a maximum of six months in federal prison, and his sentencing is slated for Oct. 1.

Bennett is not the only Howard County person to be connected to the deadly riot. Matthew Ryan Miller, 22, of Cooksville was arrested the day before Bennett turned himself in.