Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
WASHINGTON – A Florida man pleaded guilty on Feb. 12, 2024, to assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Raymund Joseph Cholod, 53, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty today in the District of Columbia to a felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta will sentence Cholod on July 2, 2024.
According to court documents, Cholod was among a mob that illegally engaged in a physical confrontation with law enforcement officers near and in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol building. The Tunnel was created by the construction of a stage for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration and was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement on January 6th. Over the course of more than two hours, members of the mob threw items at police, struck police with items, sprayed police with chemical irritants, pushed against the police, and stole items from the police defending the Tunnel.
Court documents say that at approximately 2:41 p.m., Cholod was among the first group of rioters to enter the Tunnel and quickly made his way to front of the mob of rioters confronting a police line. During this time, the mob, including Cholod, was physically pushing up against the police line inside the Tunnel. Cholod pushed up against a nearby police officer despite the officer telling him to “stop” and briefly grabbed the edge of a U.S. Capitol police riot shield.
Cholod left the Tunnel at approximately 2:54 p.m. but remained in the area immediately outside on the Lower West Terrace. At about 4:30 p.m., Cholod picked up a long black solid stick from the ground and threw it into the mouth of the Tunnel where he knew that police officers were standing by and attempting to keep rioters out of the Capitol building.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida provided valuable assistance.
The FBI’s Tampa and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. The FBI listed Cholod as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #260 on its seeking information photos. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.
In the 37 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,313 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 469 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.