Evergreen Reporter

A Virginia man has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Jay Matthew Kenyon, 47, from Harrisonburg, Virginia, received a sentence of 15 months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on January 10, 2025.

Kenyon's actions during the Capitol breach disrupted a joint session of Congress that was convened to count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election. Court documents and trial evidence showed that Kenyon entered the Capitol at approximately 2:36 p.m. through the Upper West Terrace Door and moved through various parts of the building including the Rotunda and Statutory Hall.

At around 2:44 p.m., Kenyon joined a crowd outside the House Chamber as they chanted and pushed against its doors. He later ascended to the third floor near the House Gallery and entered the House Appropriations Committee Room at approximately 2:48 p.m., before being escorted out by United States Capitol Police officers around 3:00 p.m.

Despite having an opportunity to leave, Kenyon returned to the Rotunda where he resisted law enforcement efforts to clear rioters from that area. An officer from the Metropolitan Police Department eventually removed him from the building at about 3:26 p.m.

The FBI arrested Kenyon on March 2, 2023, at their Charlottesville office. The case was prosecuted by both the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section with assistance from their counterparts in Western Virginia.

Investigative work was conducted by FBI offices in Richmond and Washington with support from United States Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department.

Since January 6, more than 1,583 individuals across nearly all states have faced charges related to this event; over 600 were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers—a felony offense—as investigations continue.

For tips regarding similar incidents or individuals involved, contact can be made via phone at "1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324)" or online at "tips.fbi.gov".