Local Capitol riots defendant seeks counsel

Paul B. Johnson, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

Feb. 4—A Trinity man charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and storming of the U.S. Capitol has not yet replaced the lawyer he fired, but his former girlfriend pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally entering the Capitol.

Bradley Stuart Bennett, 42, who is charged with six crimes, including one felony, fired his attorney in December. In a videoconference Thursday, Bennett told Judge James Boasberg of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that he is close to hiring a new lawyer.

"I've talked to a number of individuals who can't take this on, for various reasons," Bennett said.

Boasberg asked whether Bennett thought he would have one within two weeks. Bennett replied that he could, so Boasberg set a Feb. 16 hearing for an update on Bennett's case. Bennett is at home while awaiting trial and is required to keep in touch with a probation officer but is allowed to travel the state for work and personal business.

Immediately following Bennett's short hearing, Boasberg accepted a plea bargain by Elizabeth Rose Williams, 32, of Kerrville, Texas. Williams and Bennett were together at the Capitol and both entered the building after rioters broke in, federal prosecutors contend.

When the two were arrested last March, an FBI affidavit described them as boyfriend and girlfriend. Williams describes herself on her own website as a lifestyle coach, natural health advocate and musician, and she posts about such things as natural-health and lifestyle tips. Bennett, a self-employed wellness coach, frequently posted about QAnon conspiracy theories on social media and created his own website called BattleBorn.LIVE, where he and Williams pushed conspiracy theories, according to court documents.

Williams pleaded guilty Thursday to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a restricted area, in this case the Capitol. In return, federal prosecutors will dismiss all remaining charges against her.

When Boasberg asked Williams to confirm that she was guilty of illegally entering the Capitol through the Senate wing as alarms sounded and walking through the parts of the building known as the Crypt and the Rotunda, she answered, "We walked in the building, your honor."

Boasberg told Williams that the maximum sentence she could face would be six months in prison, five years on probation and a $500 fine.

What Boasberg decides is an appropriate sentence will depend on what a presentencing report finds, but most people in Jan. 6 cases who have pleaded guilty to the same misdemeanor and have no criminal record and did not engage in violence at the Capitol have been sentenced to probation.

Williams also agreed in her plea bargain to pay $500 in restitution, which also has been common in other guilty pleas.

Boasberg set a sentencing hearing for May 6. Williams is free while awaiting sentencing.

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul