Jail Time For Fairfax Man Who Assaulted Law Enforcement On Jan. 6

WASHINGTON— A 24-year-old Fairfax County man was sentenced in federal court on Friday to 18 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building. He also was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

Joseph Brody of Springfield pleaded guilty on Feb. 21, 2024 to one felony count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, according to court documents. He and others disrupted the joint session of the U.S. Congress, which had convened to verify the votes cast in the free and fair 2020 presidential election.

After attending the rally by former President Donald Trump at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., Brody and several friends made their way to the U.S. Capitol. Around 2:16 p.m., they entered the Senate Wing Door along with many other rioters.

"After a few minutes, Brody and others in the group proceeded toward the Crypt and pushed past law enforcement personnel into a room containing busts of historical figures known as the 'Corridor of Honorary Citizens,'"court documents say. "The group then moved with the crowd down the hallway and near several offices."

Eventually, Brody and his group entered Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office and conference room, according to court records. They then made their way to the Senate Chamber.

At this point, Brody broke off from the others. He was captured on video using is phone to take a photograph or record videos of the inside of the chamber, according to court documents. He appeared to take photos of papers and other information on the top of and inside several of the senators' desks. Brody then joined others who exited the capitol building around 2:50 p.m.

Walking around to the north side of the building, the group came upon U.S. Capitol Police officers trying to keep rioters from breaching the north door. As an officer used a fire extinguisher to keep the attackers at bay, Broady grabbed and lifted a metal barrier, which he then shoved over a concrete station and into the officer, according to court documents.

Brody was arrested by FBI officers on Sept. 14, 2022 in Springfield.