ATLANTA — Editor's note: The video above is from a previous story.
Federal court records show a Georgia man could be sentenced to a maximum of six months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000, after agreeing to plead guilty in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot case. The guilty plea for Jonathan Laurens, of Duluth, is for a criminal charge of illegally parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the U.S. Capitol Building.
A federal court judge is scheduled to sentence Laurens on June 10.
In the plea agreement, it is also mentioned all other charges against Laurens will be dropped and he will pay $500 restitution toward the $1.4 million in damages to the U.S. Capitol as a result of the riot on January 6, 2021.
In court filings the details of Laurens' participation claim he traveled from Georgia to Washington D.C. on January 5, 2021. On Jan. 6, he attended the rally for then-President Donald Trump and then he walked toward the U.S. Capitol Building.
Prosecutors wrote in court documents, at approximately 2:15 p.m. "Laurens turned right and proceeded into the Capitol Crypt, where a line of police officers was blocking people from proceeding further. In the Crypt, Laurens took a photograph that he posted to his Facebook page. Individuals commented on the photo on Laurens’ Facebook page to which Laurens occasionally replied. For example, Laurens posted, 'we got into the capitol (sic), walked around, chanted some slogans and stuff. A few bad apples were trying to break windows and kick on doors, but most of us put that shit to bed real fast. We weren’t there to tear shit up, just disrupt the system. All in all, I had fun! Lol.' Laurens also participated in a chant in the Crypt."
Court records detail him then walking through other parts of the building, taking a selfie in front of a portrait of George Washington, and then exiting the building at approximately 2:50 p.m.
"The defendant knew at the time he entered the U.S. Capitol Building that he did not have permission to enter the building and the defendant paraded, demonstrated, or picketed," the court records read.
Photos taken by him were also obtained during the investigation according to court records.
“We got into the Capitol (sic), walked around, chanted some slogans and stuff. A few bad apples were trying to break windows and kick on doors, but most of us put that sh*t to bed real fast. We weren’t there to tear sh*t up, just disrupt the system. All in all, I had fun! Lol,” Laurens wrote according to social media posts included in documents prepared by prosecutors.
Laurens was arrested in June of 2021 and was later released from custody as his case moved forward.
Recently, other Georgians have entered or could soon enter plea deals for the same or similar charges as Laurens. Earlier this week, Matthew Webler, of Decatur, reached a plea deal for the same charge as Laurens. He also now faces a sentence of up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
In mid-January, Savannah McDonald, of Elberton, also reached a plea deal for the same charge and she too faces the same possible sentencing. Federal court records show McDonald's co-defendant Nolan Kidd, of Crawford, has a plea agreement hearing scheduled for Feb. 7, typically an indication that prosecutors and the defendant have reached a plea deal.
Benjamin Henry Torre, of Dawsonville, also has a plea agreement hearing scheduled, with his set to take place on Feb. 28. Torre and Kidd are both charged with crimes related to illegally entering the Capitol.