Colorado man found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges related to January 6
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KRDO) -- A judge has found 51-year-old Patrick Montgomery, of Littleton, Colorado, guilty of felony obstruction of an official proceeding and felony assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.
Montgomery was convicted alongside two men from Utah, Brady Knowlton, 43, and Gary Wilson, 55, who were also involved in the January 6 U.S. Capitol breach. The three were convicted following a stipulated bench trial before U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss. Judge Moss will sentence the men on July 2, 2024.
According to the stipulated facts, on the morning of January 6, 2021, Montgomery, Knowlton, and Wilson met at the Yours Truly hotel in Washington, D.C., and walked to an area near the Washington Monument and the Ellipse to hear the speakers at the “Stop the Steal” rally. After the rally, the three men made their way to the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building, crossing over inside the restricted perimeter.
The Department of Justice said at approximately 2:02 p.m., Montgomery grabbed a law enforcement officer’s baton and attempted to wrestle it away from the officer. The officer held onto the baton and fell to the ground with Montgomery. The pair then attempted to wrestle control of the baton from each other while Knowlton and Wilson watched nearby. During the scuffle, Montgomery kicked the police officer in the chest.
Following the incident, the three men went up the Upper West Terrace Stairs with a crowd of people and approached the Upper West Terrace Door. The exterior double doors were propped open, people were screaming, and a loud alarm sounded as people were streaming into the Capitol building. Inside the doors, signage stated, “EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY.” The trio entered the Capitol building via the Upper West Terrace Door at approximately 2:35 p.m., the DOJ said.
Once they had made their way into the building, the three men climbed the stairs to the second floor, entered the Rotunda, and climbed the stairs to the third floor. The DOJ said at about 2:40 p.m., the three were walking together in the hallway on the third floor towards the Senate Gallery when Knowlton stated, in substance, “We have a right to choose our electors. We’re not going to have communist China choose them for us. We’re not going to have the Democratic Party choose them for us.” Court documents say that Montgomery and Wilson were a few feet away from Knowlton when he made this statement.
At approximately 2:43 p.m., the three men entered the Senate Gallery, and Wilson shouted, “Treason! Treason! Treason!” with others in the area, the DOJ said. Wilson then took a black bag containing escape hoods and protective equipment that an individual puts over their head to prevent breathing in smoke or contaminated air, which were government property. Knowlton and Montgomery were standing near Wilson when he took the black bag from the Senate Gallery. Wilson later discarded the bag.
The three men left the Senate Gallery and proceeded to the second floor to an area near the Senate Floor, where they confronted a U.S. Capitol Police officer. Knowlton yelled at the officer: “This is not about us. This is bigger than me, it’s bigger than you. It’s about this – everyone’s right to self-government . . . We’re with you guys. You think these people in this building would fight for you?” Montgomery yelled: “You gotta stop doing your job sometime and start being American. You gotta quit doing your job and be an American!” Wilson yelled: “We came all the way from our job to do your job, and the freaking Senators’ job!”
The FBI’s Denver, Salt Lake City, and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. The FBI listed Montgomery as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #459 in its seeking information photographs. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.
The FBI arrested Patrick Montgomery on January 17, 2021, in Colorado. The FBI arrested Knowlton and Wilson in Utah on April 7, 2021.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Colorado and Utah provided valuable assistance.
In the 38 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,358 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 486 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
