ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A St. Petersburg resident and member of the white supremacist group "Proud Boys" has been sentenced to prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Zachary Johnson, 34, pleaded guilty in August to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers. On Thursday, a federal judge sentenced him to 42 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.
This was a condition of a plea deal as his indictment showed other charges were initially made against him.
According to court documents, Johnson met up with other "Proud Boys" at 10 a.m. at the base of the Washington Monument with a plan to protest Congress' certification of the 2020 presidential election. He was wearing a ballistic plate carrier and brought a mouthguard and goggles, the Department of Justice said.
Just before 1 p.m., Johnson was reportedly among the first to charge through barricades and breach the restricted grounds of the Capitol building.
The DOJ details Johnson's involvement in overrunning officers in the area known as the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, where "some of the most violent attacks against police on January 6th." The documents say he was part of several coordinated "heave-ho" efforts to get through lines of officers throughout the Capitol building.
According to the DOJ, Johnson also helped "pass a sledgehammer and a large spray canister containing a lachrymatory agent up to other rioters" who used the tools against officers during the hours-long attack.
The FBI arrested Johnson on Jan. 13, 2022, in Florida. The FBI's field office in Tampa helped investigate his crimes.
In the 34 months since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, the DOJ says 1,200 people have been charged in almost all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol, including more than 400 charged with assaulting or impeding an officer.
Anyone with tips on people involved in the attack is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.