Chicago man and father plead guilty to misdemeanor charges in U.S. Capitol riot
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago man who wore a "Trump 2020" flag as a cape while breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge alongside his father, who joined him during the riot.
Matthew Bokoski and his father, Bradley Bokoski, of Utah, both pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building. Both were arrested in May, and are free on bond.
According to the charges, the two entered the Capitol through the Senate Parliamentarian door around 2:45 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, as a crowd of hundreds of rioters broke into the building while a joint session of Congress was meeting to certify the vote count for the Electoral College of the 2020 presidential election.
Surveillance cameras recorded both men inside the Capitol, including as Matthew Bokoski had draped a blue "Trump 2020" flag over his shoulders, while wearing a red and blue knit Trump cap.
According to the charges, surveillance video showed the two "moved with a crowd down a corridor where the crowd met with a police line of approximately 10-15 officers," and then turned around and left through the same door they came in, about 5 minutes later.
A tipster later sent the FBI screenshots of comments, videos, and photos Matthew Bokoski had posed on Facebook on the day of the riot, including a comment stating, "I was with my dad and walked right up the capital steps and inside with others."
Federal investigators were able to obtain a search warrant for Matthew Bokoski's Facebook account, which contained photos and videos taken inside the Capitol, as well as a Jan. 7 post in which he wrote, "this all happened before I went up to the capital. So only thing I'm guilty of is trespassing on federal property if you want to get down to it. I kept my distance from police and even thanked them for being out and making sure things don't get insane."
When they were questioned by federal investigators, both men admitted to entering the Capitol and taking photos and videos of themselves while inside. According to the feds, Matthew Bokoski told agents "that the January 6, 2021 rally was effective because the participants were able to 'shut down' the government."
The Bokoskis are now scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17, and face up to six months in prison, up to five years of probation, and a fine of up to $5,000.
The pair face lesser charges than some other Capitol riot defendants, partly because evidence suggests they were inside for less than five minutes.
"There's no evidence they engaged in violence or vandalism, and because of that the charges here reflect that they had a smaller role in the insurrection as other participants," said former federal prosecutor Steven Block.
Block said it's unlikely the Bokoskis will be sentenced to any time behind bars. He said their sentence could hinge on whether they're contrite during their sentencing hearing.
According to federal prosecutors in D.C., at least 29 people from Illinois have been charged in connection with the Capitol insurrection.
Including Matthew Bokoski, 19 of those have pleaded guilty to various charges. Ten of those defendants have been sentenced; eight of them to probation only, and two to less than a month each in jail.
