Little Ferry Oath Keeper pleads guilty to obstruction in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Liam Quinn, NorthJersey.com
Updated ·2 min read
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A Little Ferry man who was part of the far-right Oath Keepers group pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a charge related to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

James Breheny, 61, pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia said.

Federal authorities said Breheny, also known as Seamus Evers, was part of a group chat called “DC Op: Jan 6 21” on Signal, an app providing an encrypted messaging service. A message from the chat, obtained by the Department of Justice, said Breheny was "coming in with a team from NJ, and who also has contacts with several militia leaders coming in.”

Subsequent text messages sent by Breheny, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, said "I breached the Capitol door!" and "I have to clear chats."

Authorities said Breheny was the Oath Keepers' Bergen County coordinator. On Jan. 3, he allegedly arranged a meeting in Pennsylvania that included “multiple patriot groups” and the top leader of the Oath Keepers to prepare for “the show” three days later in Washington, D.C.

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Video footage of the incident showed Breheny near the Capitol’s east doors, where rioters violently thrust past law enforcement officers and triggered alarm bells, federal prosecutors said. In the ensuing months, Breheny allegedly took several steps to avoid arrest, telling investigators in a Jan. 14 meeting that the east doors were opened, and that he did not know he was not allowed inside the Capitol.

He was initially charged with a slew of federal crimes, including violent entry and disorderly conduct, entering a restricted building with intent to disrupt government and obstructing justice.

Breheny is one of over 1,000 people charged with federal crimes in relation to the Jan. 6 riot. The investigation is still ongoing.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Capitol riot suspect from Little Ferry NJ pleads guilty