A man and his father from Chicago have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges related to a riot that occurred in the United States Capitol. After the Capitol was broken into, the two admitted that they went inside. A Chicago man named Matthew Bokoski and his father named Bradley Bokoski, whom both participated in the riot on January 6, 2021, have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges related to the man’s use of a “Trump 2020” flag as a cape during their break-in of the U.S. Capitol.
Crime Spotted on Surveillance Cameras
The two men were captured on camera by Capitol surveillance cameras, with Matthew Bokoski wearing a red and blue knit Trump hat and carrying a blue “Trump 2020” flag over his shoulder. Surveillance footage allegedly shows the two “moving with a crowd down a corridor where the crowd met with a police line of approximately 10-15 officers,” before reversing course and leaving through the same door they entered. Surveillance footage from January 6, 2021, during the insurrection, reveals a young man and his father inside the United States Capitol.
On Friday, a man from Rockaway Township pled guilty to a federal civil disorder charge for his aggressive role with other right-wing Proud Boys members during the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 to keep then-President Donald Trump in power. Court documents filed on Friday in the case allege that Shawn Price, 28, the vice president of a Proud Boys chapter in North Jersey, traveled to Washington, D.C. with about a dozen other members and helped push a crowd forward into a line of officers working to restrain the crowd.
Former Hopatcong, Sussex County resident Price pleaded guilty to a federal charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Since Price has admitted guilt for his actions and cooperated with the Justice Department’s investigation into the deadly riot, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of between one and eighteen months in prison. When it comes time for sentencing, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols is not required to follow the recommendation.
Police Reached the Accused Persons Through Facebook Post
FBI A tipster later forwarded to the FBI screenshots of Facebook comments, videos, and photos that Matthew Bokoski had posted on the day of the riot, including one that read, “I was with my dad and walked right up the capital steps and inside with others.” Photos and videos taken inside the Capitol were discovered after federal investigators obtained a search warrant for a Facebook account belonging to Matthew Bokoski.
He wrote on January 7 that “this all happened before I went up to the capital. If we’re being honest, the only crime I committed was trespassing on government land. I avoided the police and thanked them for their efforts to maintain order.” This Facebook post, according to the FBI, helped them link Chicago resident Matthew Bokoski to the Jan. 6, 2021 break-in at the U.S. Capitol. Both men admitted to federal investigators that they had entered the Capitol building and had recorded or photographed themselves there.
On January 17, the two persons will be sentenced to up to six months in prison, up to five years of probation, and a fine of up to $5,000.The evidence suggests the two were inside the Capitol for less than five minutes, which may help explain why the charges against them are less severe than those of others accused of participating in the riot.
According to former federal prosecutor Steven Block, “there’s no evidence they engaged in violence or vandalism,” and as a result, the charges here reflect that they had a smaller role in the insurrection than other participants. Block has stated that incarceration for both of them is highly improbable. He said their punishment might depend on how remorseful they are when they face justice.
At least 29 people from Illinois have been charged in connection with the Capitol insurrection, according to federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C. Nineteen of them, including Matthew Bokoski, have entered guilty pleas to various charges. Ten of the defendants have already had their cases resolved, with eight receiving only probation and two receiving sentences.
