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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — On Wednesday, two Tampa Bay men were found guilty of federal charges for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Over the last week, Joshua Doolin and Michael Perkins were on trial at a federal courthouse in Washington D.C.
During the trial, prosecutors used videos, pictures, and witnesses from the riot to make their case.
On Wednesday, the judge found both men guilty of almost all of the federal crimes they were charged with.
Doolin was found guilty of four of the five charges he faced. The judge said during the riot, he knowingly stole government property when he took a Capitol police officer’s shield.
However, he was found not guilty of a charge related to taking a can of police chemical spray, because the judge said prosecutors did not prove that he knew it was police property.
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The judge found Perkins guilty of all six charges that he faced. He says Perkins assaulted two officers with a flag pole and kicked someone who fell on the ground during the riot.
Plus, both men were convicted of civil disorder and disorderly conduct, because the judge says they knowingly took part in the protest with the intention of stopping the certification of the presidential election. They were also both found guilty of being on restricted property.
Both men are set to be sentenced in mid-July. Until then, they are allowed to return home to Florida, where they will be tracked through GPS monitors and confined to small regions in their community.
Three other Tampa Bay rioters were supposed to stand trial with Doolin and Perkins, but all three are in hiding and considered fugitives by the FBI.
The judge warned Doolin and Perkins they will face serious consequences if they flee. He also ordered them not to have any contact with the other co-defendants or each other.
Because of legal logistics, Perkins may be put in jail until the sentencing. The judge will make a decision about that next week.
