Pot smoking Capitol rioter gets 41 months for assaulting cops during January 6 insurrection

On Thursday, Greg Rubenacker, 26, of Farmingdale, New York, the man who videotaped himself smoking weed and posted those videos to Snapchat during the U.S. Capitol riot – was sentenced to 41 months in the slammer for assaulting law enforcement officers and other felonies related to the breach of the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

According to court documents, Rubenacker engaged in a series of confrontations with law enforcement officers inside the Capitol Building on January 6.  At approximately 2:13 p.m., he entered the Capitol Building through the Senate Wing Door, recording a video in which he stated, “This is history! We took the Capitol.”

He was in a crowd that was yelling “where are they counting the votes” and eventually chased a U.S. Capitol Police officer securing the area. Rubenacker left the building at 2:21 p.m., but returned 21 minutes later through the Rotunda Door.

While in the Rotunda, he smoked marijuana, recording another video that he later posted to a social media website with the caption, “Smoke out the Capitol, baby.”

Rubenacker and others resisted officers attempting to remove individuals from the Rotunda. At approximately 3:08 p.m., he swung a plastic bottle at an officer’s head. He then sprayed water from his bottle across law enforcement officers engaging with other individuals. Law enforcement officers pepper-sprayed the crowd, including Rubenacker, who exited the Capitol at 3:20 p.m.

Rubenacker was arrested on February 9, 2021, in Farmingdale, New York. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2022, to all 10 counts of an indictment returned in the District of Columbia, including charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, civil disorder, obstructing an official proceeding, and committing an act of physical violence on the Capitol grounds. Following his prison term, Rubenacker will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $2,000 in restitution.

After his sentencing, a lawyer for Rubenacker told the New York Post that he was “disappointed” in his client’s sentence and would pursue any appeals that may be available.

In the 16 months since January 6, 2021, more than 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Their investigation remains ongoing.

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

For more on Rubenacker’s initial arrest, see the video accompanying this article.

(Source:  U.S. Attorney’s Office / District of Columbia)

(All Image credits: FBI)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter