A West Virginia National Guard member accused of surging into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor federal charge today.
Jamie Lynn Ferguson acknowledged guilt in a count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, a common charge for defendants in Jan.. 6 cases. As part of the deal, three other misdemeanors were dropped.
Ferguson answered a series of questions today before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta of the District of Columbia.
“On Jan. 6, 2021, did you enter the Capitol building around 2:42 p.m. and remain in the Capitol building until 3:33 p.m., ma’am,” the judge asked.
“Yes, your honor,” Ferguson replied.
The judge set a sentencing hearing for 3 p.m. Nov. 18.
Ferguson came under scrutiny by Jan. 14, 2021, when the Department of the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations provided an investigative analysis report to the FBI indicating that Ferguson was suspected of unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol with hundreds of others while members of Congress fulfilled their constitutional duty of certifying the presidential election.
A review of Ferguson’s leave requests confirmed that she was on leave from Jan. 5 to 7 that year, listing her destination as Washington, D.C. Agents reviewed her social media posts leading up to Jan. 6 and took note of an image of a crowd in front of the Capitol with a storm cloud above. She captioned the post, “I pray this is exactly what D.C. will look like on Jan. 6th. #HoldTheLine.”
Video footage showed a woman matching Ferguson’s description entering the east front Rotunda doors of the U.S. Capitol at 2:42 p.m. while wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt with the phrase “Yes, I’m a Trump Girl” in white block lettering and carrying an olive green backpack.
Footage shows her remaining in the Rotunda and its adjacent entryway until exiting at 3:33 p.m.
Hundreds of people face charges from the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
A mob storming the U.S. Capitol that day disrupted the constitutional duty of counting Electoral College votes and prompted the evacuations of representatives, senators and Vice President Mike Pence. One woman was fatally shot while trying to climb into the chambers, three others died from “medical emergencies” and more than 100 police officers were injured.
Of the thousands of protesters in Washington, D.C., that day, about 800 went into the Capitol, police have said.
Several more West Virginians were charged in that day’s events.
They include George Tanios, a Morgantown sandwich shop operator accused in the assault of three Capitol police officers with pepperspray; former state Delegate Derrick Evans of Wayne County, who resigned after being charged; former Parkersburg councilman Eric Barber; Jeffery Finley of Martinsburg, the leader of West Virginia’s chapter of the Proud Boy right-wing militant group, and college senior Gracyn Courtright of Hurricane.
Evans, Barber, Finley and Courtright all pleaded guilty. Tanios has a trial set for October, although lawyers in the case have acknowledged ongoing plea discussions.
Ferguson has been released on personal recognizance with a few restrictions. Ferguson, who has been living in Collinsville, Va., earlier received permission to travel for her work to North Carolina and West Virginia.
Ferguson’s LinkedIn social media profile identifies her as an aerospace medical technician for the West Virginia National Guard.
The West Virginia National Guard, in a statement, confirmed that “Technical Sgt. Jamie L. Ferguson is a part time, drill status guardsman assigned to the West Virginia Air National Guard. As a matter of policy, the 130th Airlift Wing and the West Virginia National Guard do not comment on pending criminal charges.”