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January 6 SC accused pleads guilty to stealing riot gear | Greenville News
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January 6 SC accused pleads guilty to stealing riot gear | Greenville News

A South Carolina man pleaded guilty in federal court to breaching the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, stealing riot gear and lying to federal agents about it.

William Robert Norwood III of Greer agreed to waive his right to a trial and plead guilty to a civil disorder charge, according to court documents filed Oct. 10. Norwood initially pleaded not guilty in March 2021 to several charges, including theft of government property. , and was scheduled to go to trial later this year.

Norwood’s case stands out because his bond was revoked in March 2022 after a federal judge ruled he tried to tamper with a government witness: his estranged wife.

As part of the October 1 settlement, Norwood admitted that he and his wife then traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend then-President Donald Trump’s speech and joined a mob of rioters to breach the Capitol building.

Norwood filmed himself running through the building and shouting with other rioters.

“Well, we’re in this (expletive) now. What now? This is our house,” Norwood said in a recording. “Where are you in Nancy?”

Norwood admitted to being part of a group of rioters pushing against officers who were closing a door to the Capitol building, which ended up letting in hundreds more rioters. He also admitted to taking a souvenir from Pelosi’s office, a coaster that read “Congress of the United States.”

After about 35 minutes inside, Norwood was seen leaving the Capitol and took a police helmet and plate carrier from a trash can outside. When officers later asked him if he had taken the equipment, Norwood lied and said he had left it at a hotel.

Norwood is expected to be sentenced in February. Federal prosecutors recommended in his plea agreement that he spend between eight and 14 months in prison and pay a fine of between $4,000 and $40,000, according to court documents. The maximum penalty is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Nationwide, more than 1,470 people have been charged for their roles in the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol, according to the Justice Department.