Howard County man, 23, sentenced to prison on U.S. Capitol riot charges

Ngan Ho, Howard County Times, Columbia, Md.
·2 min read
5

May 24—A Howard County man who sprayed a fire extinguisher at police officers during some of the most intense rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Monday to nearly three years in prison.

Matthew Ryan Miller, 23, of Cooksville was draped in a Confederate flag when he threw a full beer can in the direction of the Capitol building as a mob gathered on the west side of the U.S. Capitol, a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Columbia says.

Miller used a ladder to scale the walls of the west side of the Capitol plaza and helped other rioters in scaling the walls and other architectural obstacles as they moved to the tunnel area leading into the building, according to the release.

A video shows Miller joining a crowd of rioters in pushing toward police guarding the same entrance in which he deployed the fire extinguisher, prosecutors asserted.

Miller waved his hand and said multiple times, "Come on," as the mob chanted "Heave! Ho!" and rocked back and forth in pushing toward the tunnel entrance that police officers were attempting to secure.

He then used a fire extinguisher to spray directly into the tunnel and onto police officers, according to prosecutors. A defense attorney, A. Eduardo Balarezo, has said there is no evidence that Miller entered the Capitol or engaged in any acts of violence. Balarezo was not immediately available for comment Monday.

Miller was sentenced to 33 months in prison and will be placed on 24 months of supervised release when his prison term ends, the release says. He must also pay $2,000 in restitution.

Miller was arrested Jan. 25, 2021, in Cooksville, where he lives with his mother. He rejected a plea offer by federal prosecutors in November, then pleaded guilty Feb. 9 to obstruction of an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.

In the 16 months since the Capitol riot, more than 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, according to the release. This includes over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Breaking News Alerts