WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — A Minot native facing charges in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol has accepted a plea deal.
Glen Mitchell Simon will plead guilty to parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, according to court documents. The crime carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
In exchange, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia will drop all other charges.
Simon was charged with misdemeanor counts of entering the temporary residence of the president and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Witnesses reported to the FBI the day after the riots that Mitchell had posted photos on his now-deleted Facebook page showing him inside and in front of the U.S. Capitol building, as well as video of him in the building saying, "We weren't invited, we broke in here," according to an affidavit by an FBI special agent investigating the riots.
Both witnesses, who were not identified, reported to the FBI that Simon had recently moved. The FBI determined he lived in Jefferson, Georgia, but were unable to locate him there, according to the affidavit.
When they contacted him by phone, Simon allegedly admitted he was the person in the photos outside the Capitol building, but denied he entered the building.
Simon pleaded not guilty in May.
In addition, Simon's plea agreement requires him to repay $400 in restitution to the Department of the Treasury, part of the estimated $1.5 million in damages to the U.S. Capitol.