Maryland Man Pleads Guilty To Jan. 6 Riot-Related Charge: DOJ

WASHINGTON, DC — A Maryland man pleaded guilty this week for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Federal law enforcement officials say he shouted at a police officer and thrust a lacrosse stick at the officer's chest.

David A. Blair, 27, of Clarksburg was convicted in federal court of interfering with a law enforcement officer during the 2021 attack on the Capitol. According to court documents, at approximately 5:45 p.m., Blair was in a crowd illegally gathered on the West Lawn of the Capitol.

According to federal authorities, when officers with the Metropolitan Police Department ordered the group to "move back" from the Capitol, Blair positioned himself between the officers and the crowd. He then walked between them, waving a Confederate battle flag attached to a lacrosse stick and yelling, "Hell naw, quit backing up, don't be scared."

According to court documents, as officers advanced, one pushed Blair back toward the crowd. Blair jumped back, squared his body to stand in front of the officer, shouted and thrust the lacrosse stick at the officer's chest, authorities said.

Blair was arrested on Feb. 17, 2021, in Washington, D.C. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Estimated sentencing guidelines in Blair's case recommend a term of imprisonment ranging from eight to 14 months.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper is scheduled to sentence Blair on July 13.

Blair wasn't the only riot defendant who brought a Confederate flag to the Capitol. A man who draped himself in a Confederate flag on Jan. 6 pleaded guilty to joining the mob that disrupted Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. That man — Matthew Ryan Miller, 23, of Cooksville, Maryland — is scheduled to be sentenced on May 23.

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