Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

            WASHINGTON – A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Roger Kent Baugh, 51, of Louisville, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Baugh and a friend, Mark Mazza, illegally entered the Capitol grounds. Baugh was aware that day that Mazza was armed with a firearm. At approximately 2:50 p.m., both men moved up a staircase and to the West Front Terrace. About 20 minutes later, Baugh moved to the mouth of a tunnel area leading into the Capitol Building. While there, he observed numerous acts of violence against law enforcement officers attempting to secure the building. Baugh entered the tunnel and assisted other rioters who were pushing against the officers. He then participated in “heave-ho” efforts to apply significant physical force and pressure on the officers to remove them from the doorway. Baugh finally retreated from the rioters who were actively resisting officers in the tunnel. But he returned moments later for a second effort. Officers pushed rioters back, and Baugh finally left the tunnel area at approximately 3:18 p.m.

            Baugh subsequently falsely denied entering the tunnel area or being involved in any violence against officers in an interview in November 2021 with the FBI and during another interview in March 2022 with an Assistant U.S. Attorney and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            He was charged in a criminal information filed on Sept. 20, 2022, and today was his first appearance in court. He is to be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2023. He faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            Mazza, 57, of Shelbyville, Indiana, pleaded guilty on June 17, 2022, in the District of Columbia to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced earlier today to 60 months in prison. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $2,150 in restitution.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.

            The case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Louisville Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 21 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 880 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.