Mercer County Man Pleads Guilty To Role In Jan. 6 Capitol Riots

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A Mercer County man has pleaded guilty to his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

Matthew Perna pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of Congress and three related misdemeanor charges, prosecutors announced Friday.

Perna attended the Stop the Steal Rally on Jan. 6, then marched to the Capitol, court paperwork said. Wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hoodie, court documents allege he entered through the Senate Wing door after barriers were breached.

He was in the Capitol for about 20 minutes, prosecutors said. Afterward, according to court paperwork, Perna posted an eight-minute video to Facebook saying, "It's not over, trust me. The purpose of today was to expose Pence as a traitor."

His co-defendant, Stephen Ayres from Warren, Ohio, still has charges pending against him.

Perna's sentencing is set for March 3, 2022. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine and additional penalties on the misdemeanor offenses.