A Brooklyn man was sentenced on Friday for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutors announced.
Aaron Mostofsky, 35, pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2022, to a felony charge of civil disorder and misdemeanor charges of theft of government property and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. He was sentenced to 8 months in prison in Washington, D.C. on May 6.
According to court documents, Mostofsky was among the crowd on Jan. 6, 2021 at 12:55 p.m., dressed as a caveman and carrying a walking stick or rod. He and other rioters overwhelmed a police perimeter stationed near the Peace Circle, due west of the Capitol building, and ultimately reached the West Plaza.
At around 1:35 p.m., Mostofsky joined a group of rioters that were ushing against a police line that was attempting to limit the crowd’s access to the Capitol, using his weight and strength to break the police line. At about 2:09 p.m., he climbed exterior stairs to the Capitol’s Upper West Terrace, heading to the Senate Wing Door, and while en-route Mostofsky picked up a U.S. Capitol Police bullet-proof vest and put it on.
Minutes later, the crowd broke the windows next to the Senate Wing Door, entered the Capitol, and broke the door open from inside the building. Mostofsky entered through the door at 2:13 p.m., about the 12th person to get inside that way, and he picked up a U.S. Capitol Police riot shield that had been set aside by another rioter.
He followed the crowd to a staircase, where they pursued a U.S. Capitol Police Officer upstairs and into the Ohio Clock Corridor, just outside the Senate Chamber, and at 2:36 p.m., after giving an interview to a reporter, Mostofsky left the building, taking the police vest and riot shield with him. He was stripped of the shield by a U.S. Capitol Police officer.
Mostofsky was arrested in Brooklyn on Jan. 12, 2021. Following his prison term, Mostofsky will be placed on 12 months of supervised release. He also must perform 200 hours of community service and pay $2,000 in restitution.
In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
