Washington man pleads guilty over Jan. 6 role after identifying self in Capitol breach video
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A man from Yacolt, Washington pleaded guilty to a federal charge on Friday for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach after authorities found videos of him during the riot, the United States Department of Justice announced.
Authorities said 36-year-old Benjamin Silva pleaded guilty to a felony charge for civil disorder after taking part in pushing against a law enforcement line in the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace Tunnel where “some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th occurred.”
According to court documents, around 3 p.m. on Jan. 6, Silva made his way to the front of the crowd and joined others moving back and forth in a “‘heave-ho effort'” to apply force against the police line that was guarding the entrance to the Capitol.
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In April 2021, authorities identified Silva in a YouTube video showing the tunnel during the Capitol breach.
They also found a video filmed by one of the protesters who was filming the Capitol breach. The video appeared to show Silva leaving the front of the crowd after getting pepper sprayed, according to court documents. Silva identified himself in the video after the person filming asked who he is and where he is from, court documents said.
In July of 2021, FBI agents searched Silva’s home and found what appeared to be the same jacket, gaiter, and beanie he wore in the videos from Jan. 6, according to court documents.
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Silva was arrested July 25, 2023, in Portland, Oregon, officials said, noting he will be sentenced Sept. 17, 2024.
In the more than three years since the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, more than 1,350 people have been charged in almost all 50 states for their role in the breach, including more than 480 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the U.S. DOJ.
Anyone with additional information on the Capitol breach is asked to contact the FBI.
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