A man from Salem, Massachusetts, named Richard Ackerman, pleaded guilty to charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Ackerman, 22, admitted to stealing a Capitol police officer’s helmet and entering a restricted building on Capitol grounds. Court records revealed that Ackerman proudly referred to the helmet as his “war trophy” and took it back to New Hampshire, where the FBI later recovered it from his home in June 2022. Additionally, Ackerman was reported to have thrown a water bottle at officers inside the Lower West Terrace Tunnel during the incident.
Ackerman’s sentencing is set for July 25 in Washington, D.C., as part of the ongoing legal proceedings following the Capitol attack. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia mentioned that more than 1,300 people have been charged with crimes linked to the assault on the Capitol. This case serves as a reminder of the consequences individuals face for their actions on that fateful day, as the justice system continues to hold those accountable who participated in the violent breach of the Capitol building. The guilty plea from Ackerman highlights the seriousness of the charges and the impact of his actions in connection with the events of January 6th.
