WASHINGTON, D.C. – A jury found 39-year-old Ryan Stephen Samsel, a man from Bristol Borough, guilty of being among the first to commit violence during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Samsel, along with his co-defendants, was convicted of various crimes, including causing serious injuries to a U.S. Capitol police officer. The sentencing for Samsel and his co-defendants has been scheduled for June 13 before U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb in Washington D.C. The judge has ordered Samsel to remain in custody until then.
Prosecutors argued that Samsel and his co-defendants had traveled to Washington D.C. with the intent of obstructing the certification of the 2020 presidential election. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Mirabelli, their actions led to “hours of terror, violence, destruction, and injury.”
Samsel’s defense attorney declined to comment on the outcome of the case. Samsel gained national attention for his alleged crimes, a jailhouse attack that left him injured, and his communication with figures like Joe Biggs, a Proud Boys leader, and Ray Epps, an Arizona man. Samsel, accused of assaulting U.S. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards, leaves a trail of violence, largely against women, according to court papers. In one case, he attacked his pregnant girlfriend and has a history of criminal conduct. His previous run-ins with the police, coupled with a series of attacks while in custody, sparked public interest and numerous fundraisers. Samsel continues to deny that past attorneys were against former President Donald Trump.
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