PORT ORCHARD, Wash. — A Port Orchard man pleaded guilty to a charge related to his participation in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
John Cameron initially faced four charges but ended up pleading guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building following an agreement with federal prosecutors.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison, five years probation and/or a fine of $5,000.
On Jan. 8, 2021, the FBI received a tip indicating that Cameron had been at the U.S. Capitol riot two days earlier. The tipster provided the FBI with a link to Cameron's Facebook account, which included posts and pictures documenting his trip to Washington D.C. for the "Stop the Steal" rally, according to probable cause documents.
Cameron posted a picture on his Facebook page that morning showing himself dressed in a "Make America Great Again" cap and a black hooded sweatshirt with a t-shirt on top that read "count all legal votes," according to court documents.
CCTV video taken within the capitol building showed a man matching Cameron's description entering through the Senate Wing Door at around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 6.
The man made his way to the Crypt, and then toward the Memorial Door on the east side of the building. Video shows him exiting the Capitol by climbing through a broken window near the Senate Wing Door at around 2:42 p.m.
Cameron posted other photos and videos on his publicly accessible Facebook account of himself and the crowd on restricted grounds of the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents. One video, captioned "Civil disobedience," showed rioters breaching the secured areas of the scaffolding surrounding the Capitol building.
Cameron posted another video of himself on a D.C. Metro train after leaving the Capitol describing the events of the day. "Was it pretty?" Cameron said. "No. Did it make a statement? Yes."
Cameron was officially charged for his participation in the Capitol riot on Dec. 10, 2021, and was arrested on Jan. 5, 2022. He entered a guilty plea on May 4 but has not yet been sentenced by a judge.