Federal judge confines Springfield man to home for comments made after his Jan. 6 conviction
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has restricted the movement of a Springfield man convicted last month for his part in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.
In a hearing Thursday, Judge Amit P. Mehta confined Thomas B. Adams Jr. of the 2800 block of Ridge Avenue to his home for 30 days after comments he made to The State Journal-Register about his part in the breach.
Two days after his conviction in a stipulated bench trial, Adams, 41, said he wouldn't change anything he did that day.
'I wouldn't change anything I did:' Springfield man convicted in breach of U.S. Capitol
Responding to the article, which was first published online on Feb. 1, Mehta drafted a "minute order" asking why the court should not vacate Adams' convictions in light of his statements.
According to Thursday's order, Adams "will be restricted to his residence at all times except for employment; education; religious services; medical, substance abuse, or mental health treatment; attorney visits; court appearances; court-ordered obligations; or other activities approved in advance by the pretrial services office or supervising officer."
Adams remains free on his own recognizance.
He was convicted of obstructing an official proceeding; aiding and abetting others in committing obstruction of an official proceeding and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.
Although Adams stipulated or admitted to facts that, based upon the court’s rulings on his motions to dismiss, would establish guilt, he did not plead guilty.
Adams' sentencing hearing is June 16. He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge, plus financial penalties up to $250,000.
In an interview outside of his Springfield home, Adams told the SJ-R that he "would go there again. I didn't do anything. I still to this day, even though I had to admit guilt (in the stipulation of charges), don't feel like I did what the charge is."
Adams admitted that he was on the U.S. Senate floor on Jan. 6 but that he had "no desire to do anything malicious, vicious or anything."
In a motion filed by Adams' federal public defender in response to the "minute order," A.J. Kramer noted that Adams "did not intend to suggest that he would have gone into the Capitol, and he has never suggested as much to the (defense counsel). In fact, he has said the opposite repeatedly."
Adams, 41, traveled to Washington from Springfield with his friend, Roy Nelson Franklin, whose case is pending.
Another area man, Shane Jason Woods of Auburn, pleaded guilty in federal court in early September to assaulting a law enforcement officer among other charges during the Jan. 6 breach. Woods, who also goes by Shane Castleman, was charged with first-degree murder on Nov. 16 for his part in a fatal wrong-way collision on Interstate 55 near Springfield on Nov. 8.
About 1,000 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Capitol breach.
Contact Steven Spearie: (217) 622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield man convicted in Jan. 6 breach ordered to home confinement
