A Farmingdale man has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for assaulting police officers and other crimes during riots in the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021.
Greg Rubenacker, 26, received his sentencing in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. He had been arrested in February 2021 and pleaded guilty in February 2022 to all 10 counts against him, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, civil disorder, obstructing an official proceeding, and committing an act of physical violence on the Capitol grounds.
Rubenacker will be placed on three years of supervised release after serving his prison term. He is also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution, according to federal officials. Evidence from witnesses over social media originally led to Rubenacker’s arrest in Farmingdale early last year.
“The witness stated that Snapchat user Rubenacker had sent multiple Snapchat videos to the witness from inside the Capitol building,” authorities alleged in court documents. “User Rubenacker then posted some of those videos merged together in a ‘story’ that other Snapchat users could see, including the witness.”
According to authorities, Rubenacker entered the Capitol building through the Senate Wing Door at about 2:13 p.m. along with a crowd of others and yelled, “This is history! We took the Capitol.” He also yelled “Where are they counting the votes” before a Capitol police officer redirected him. He left the building at about 2:21 p.m., but returned about 21 minutes later through the Rotunda Door, federal officials said. While in the Rotunda, he smoked marijuana and posted a video with the title “Smoke out the Capitol, baby.”
Authorities said that Rubenacker then resisted officers who were trying to get individuals out of the Rotunda. He swung a plastic water bottle at one officer’s head and sprayed water at another. He left the building at about 3:20 p.m. after he and the other rioters were pepper sprayed by police officers.
More than 800 people in all 50 states have been arrested and charged for participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots, officials report. More than 250 of those were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, and the investigation into the riots is ongoing.
Anyone with additional tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit fbi.gov/tips.
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