A Washington state man was found guilty in the District of Columbia on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, of seven charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. 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.
Marc Anthony Bru, 43, of Vancouver, Washington, was found guilty of all charges against him following a bench trial before U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg. Judge Boasberg found Bru guilty of two felonies, including obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder. In addition to the felonies, Bru was convicted of five misdemeanor charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; entering and remaining in a gallery of Congress; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Bru—a member of the “Proud Boys” organization—marched with a group of approximately 20 other “Proud Boys” to the U.S. Capitol. As he approached the Capitol, Bru trampled over the downed barricades at the Peace Circle and then entered the Capitol’s West Plaza, where he angrily confronted riot gear-clad police officers attempting to hold the mob at bay.
When police officers tried to use bicycle rack barricades to force the rioters backward, Bru charged the barricades, grabbed one, and used his entire body weight to prevent the police from moving it forward. An officer tried to spray Bru with a chemical irritant to get him to let go, but Bru ducked and avoided it, leading another officer to force Bru to retreat. Later, despite the blaring alarm, Bru entered the Capitol through an emergency exit and made his way to the recently evacuated Senate chamber, where he took celebratory pictures in the gallery. Approximately seven weeks later, Bru sent an encrypted message to an aspiring “Proud Boy” in which Bru detailed his plans to conduct an armed insurrection against the Oregon state government, modeled on the January 6 Capitol riot.
Bru was arrested on March 30, 2021, in Vancouver, Washington.
Bru is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2024.
All charges carry potential financial penalties. The Court 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington and the Middle District of Florida.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Seattle and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 398 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.
Read more at the Justice Department
