Maryland Man Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement and Other Charges During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach (original) (raw)

WASHINGTON — A Maryland man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges, including for allegedly assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Nicholas Ortt, 43, of Mount Airy, Maryland, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.

In addition to the felonies, Ortt is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in the Capitol grounds or buildings, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

The FBI arrested Ortt today in Ellicott City, Maryland. He will make his initial appearance in the District of Columbia.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Ortt traveled from his residence in Maryland to attend the former President's "Stop the Steal" rally. After the rally, Ortt walked to the U.S. Capitol with a crowd, arriving at the West Plaza. At approximately 2:28 pm, Ortt traveled through the mob of amassed rioters and allegedly attempted to breach the police line. Court documents say that to achieve this end, Ortt and other rioters sought to expose the line's vulnerability by allegedly pushing past and assaulting the vastly outnumbered law enforcement officers attempting to hold the line intact.

During this time, open-source and body-worn footage captured Ortt's efforts to move past the police line and his alleged assault of officers attempting to maintain the line. Open-source video footage and images depict numerous instances where Ortt allegedly fought with officers and grabbed their batons as officers struggled to avert attacks by other rioters.

Once Ortt successfully breached the line, he continued to allegedly engage with police. Court documents say that these alleged efforts prevented officers from reinforcing the collapsing line. After continued confrontations between Ortt and law enforcement, officers successfully repelled Ortt's advance, and he retreated to the mob's interior. However, almost immediately after Ortt broke through the police line, the police line collapsed, and the mob of rioters, including Ortt, flooded onto the Lower West Terrace and the U.S. Capitol.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland provided valuable assistance.

The FBI's Baltimore and Washington Field Offices are investigating this case. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.

In the 38 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,358 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 486 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.