Idaho Man Pleads Guilty to Assault on Law Enforcement, Obstruction Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

District of Columbia -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Columbia

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Idaho Man Pleads Guilty to Assault on Law Enforcement and Obstruction During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Defendant Struck Police Officer with Pipe, Participated in Other Attacks
An Idaho man pleaded guilty today to two felony charges, including assaulting a law enforcement officer, for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes for the presidential election.

According to court documents, Duke Edward Wilson, 67, of Nampa, went to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 wearing a dark-colored jacket with a long-sleeved blue shirt underneath and a purple and white baseball hat that read, “CNN,” with the words, “FAKE NEWS” underneath it. He entered the Lower West Terrace tunnel area of the U.S Capitol Building shortly before 3 p.m. At that time, the crowd was pushing against law enforcement officers in efforts to enter the building, while spraying liquid irritants toward the officers as they pushed on the officers’ shields.

Wilson made his way to the front line of the crowd, and as officers tried to close a set of double doors, he grabbed for them and tried to pull the door open. He then raised what appeared to be a tablet device to deflect the liquid irritant officers were spraying at the crowd. Wilson then picked up a several feet long white cylindrical object, believed to be a thin polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, and indiscriminately used it to strike at the officers, hitting one. Wilson then raised the object above his head and threw it into the line of officers. As the confrontation continued, he also assisted others in attempting to pull a shield away from an officer. During a struggle over the shield, he pushed an officer to the ground and then joined others in pushing another officer.    

Wilson pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 22. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for obstruction of an official proceeding, and up to eight years and a $250,000 fine for assault on law enforcement.

Wilson was arrested in Idaho on April 15 and remains on personal recognizance pending sentencing. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identifies Wilson as #87 in its seeking information photos, with assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office.

In the seven months since Jan. 6, more than 570 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 170 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; ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously via ReportIt.com.
Attachment(s): 
Download Wilson, Duke Edward Plea Agreement
Download Wilson, Duke Edward Statement of Offense
Topic(s): 
Counterterrorism
Component(s): 
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
National Security Division (NSD)
USAO - District of Columbia
Updated September 7, 2021