Federal jury finds Cedar Rapids man guilty on 7 charges related to Jan. 6 Capitol riot
An Iowa man who entered the Senate floor during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot was found guilty Tuesday of obstructing an official proceeding.
A federal jury in Washington, D.C., also found 37-year-old Leo Kelly, of Cedar Rapids, guilty of six other charges including: entering a restricted building, parading or demonstrating in a Capitol building, two counts of disorderly conduct and two for entering certain parts of the Capitol.
Kelly had originally been arrested on Jan. 18, 2021, on charges of entering a restricted building and violent entry to disrupt the orderly conduct of business. His charges were later upgraded in December 2021 to the seven that he was convicted of Tuesday.
Kira West, an attorney for Kelly, declined to comment on the jury's verdict in a phone call with the Des Moines Register.
More: Cedar Rapids man Leo Kelly faces five more charges related to Jan. 6 riot at U.S. Capitol
At least one of the charges, obstructing an official proceeding, is a felony with a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, although sentencing guidelines will likely recommend a shorter amount of time. A federal judge sentenced Iowan Doug Jensen last December to 60 months in prison, 36 months supervised release and $2,000 of restitution after being convicted of the same offense and six others.
Kelly will remain released from jail on his own recognizance until his sentencing hearing on Aug. 18, according to court records.
Rioter previously said he 'understood there would be consequences'
Kelly admitted to being inside the Capitol in an interview with LifeSiteNews.com, a media outlet devoted to anti-abortion, faith and morality-focused coverage. He told the interviewers he'd been in the Capitol for 30 to 60 minutes and prayed on the Senate floor. The video interview included footage Kelly shot from inside the Senate chamber.
In his LifeSiteNews interview, which is no longer available online, Kelly said he was not armed or violent during the riot, but felt the participants had no other choice because "no one will even listen to us."
“We’ve been betrayed by Congress," he said. "We’ve been betrayed by the judicial branch. We’ve been betrayed by our local governments, our mayors.”
Kelly, an executive at a Cedar Rapids tech company, told the Cedar Rapids Gazette after the riot that he's a politically active independent. He said he attended the rally in Washington that morphed into the riot out of frustration with "crimes against the Constitution" he believed were not being addressed, but said he accepts the importance of rule of law.
"If the FBI or whoever calls me — I mean, they know where to find me, I'm sure — I'll talk to them," Kelly said. "I understand there could be consequences for what happened and I will accept those and deal with them."
Eight Iowans were charged in relation to the Capitol riot. Last week, Deborah Sandoval, of Des Moines, was sentenced to five months in prison after she pleaded guilty to a single charge of entering a restricted building. After a two-day trial in December, her son Salvador Sandoval Jr., of Ankeny, was found guilty on 12 counts, according to online court records. He is set for sentencing Aug. 7.
Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at@francescablock3.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Leo Kelly of Iowa found guilty on 7 charges from Jan. 6 Capitol riot
