Jury returns verdict in case of Patrick Stedman, Capitol riot suspect from Haddonfield

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Haddonfield man who said the U.S. Capitol riot would one day be celebrated as a national holiday is facing a potential prison term for his role in the insurrection.

Patrick Stedman, 35, was found guilty Friday of a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding of Congress, the counting of Electoral College votes for incoming president Joe Biden, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

A jury also returned guilty verdicts on four misdemeanor charges arising from Stedman's presence at the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by supporters of then president Donald Trump.

The prosecution asserted Stedman spent about 40 minutes inside the Capitol.

The 12-person jury deliberated over parts of two days before reaching its verdict, according to an online trial summary.

More: Father and son await sentencing Three from South Jersey admit to taking part in Capitol riot

Stedman, a dating and relationship coach, testified as the sole defense witness over parts of Wednesday and Thursday, the summary said.

Testimony from federal agents, D.C. police officers

The prosecution presented testimony from two Metropolitan Police officers, as well as a Capitol police officer and individual agents from the FBI and Secret Service.

In her instructions to the jury, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell noted Stedman "denies each charge and asserts that he intended to exercise his right under the First Amendment to protest peacefully at the U.S. Capitol building and grounds."

In an interview prior to the trial, defense attorney Rocco Cipparone Jr. of Mullica Hill noted he would emphasize Stedman engaged in no violence, property damage or threats.

But in filing a criminal complaint in January 2021, the Justice Department said Stedman tweeted, "I was pretty much in the first wave, and we broke down the doors and climbed up the back part of the Capitol building and got all the way into the chambers."

The complaint also asserted that, days before the riot, Stedman had urged his Twitter followers to join him in Washington, D.C.

"Will eventually be a national holiday akin to the 4th of July. You will want to tell your grandchildren you were there," the tweet said.

The trial began with jury selection Monday, June 5, in Washington, D.C., federal court.

Jurors saw multiple photos and videos of the insurrection, including images from surveillance cameras and police officers' body-worn cameras.

They also were shown texts, tweets and a video from Stedman's phone, according to a list of trial exhibits.

What did prosecution evidence show?

The January 2021 affidavit said Stedman had tweeted a video of himself on the day of the insurrection that "discussed the details of his presence inside the U.S. Capitol, including sitting in (then House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi's office."

Trial exhibits also included maps and blueprints from the Capitol, as well as a green and red sweater worn by Stedman during the riot.

Stedman in May rejected a plea-deal offer that called for him to admit guilt to the felony charge in exchange for dismissal of the misdemeanor counts.

Under the proposed deal, the prosecution would have recommended a prison term of 41 to 51 months.

He now faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Other Jan. 6 defendants convicted of the obstruction charge have received prison terms of four to five years, Stedman said in an online appeal seeking funds for his legal costs.

The Justice Department initially charged Stedman with two misdemeanors: unlawful entry of a restricted building and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

But a June 2021 indictment added the felony charge of obstruction and two more misdemeanor counts.

The new misdemeanor allegations accused Stedman of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly and disruptive conduct in the same setting.

Stedman, who was released after his arrest on Jan. 20, 2021, is to be sentenced on Sept. 8.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email him at jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Patrick Stedman predicted Capitol riot would be marked by a holiday