Maine man pleads guilty for role in Jan. 6 riot at U.S. Capitol

Shawn P. Sullivan, Portsmouth Herald
·4 min read
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WELLS, Maine — A local businessman could face time in prison now that he has pleaded guilty to his actions at the U.S. Capitol riots in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.

David Ball, 37, of Wells, pleaded guilty Tuesday, Oct. 3, in federal court to a single misdemeanor charge of knowingly and willingly entering the U.S. Capitol when he did not have permission. Specifically, Ball entered his plea on a charge of parading, demonstrating and picketing inside the Capitol.

Ball is expected to be sentenced Jan. 9.

This social-media photo help authorities confirm the presence of David Ball, of Wells, Maine, inside the U.S. Capitol on the day it was stormed by rioters on Jan. 6, 2021. The photo appears in the criminal complaint filed against Ball.
This social-media photo help authorities confirm the presence of David Ball, of Wells, Maine, inside the U.S. Capitol on the day it was stormed by rioters on Jan. 6, 2021. The photo appears in the criminal complaint filed against Ball.

According to the plea agreement he signed, he could serve a maximum of six months in prison and up to five years of probation as well as pay a fine up to $5,000.

Other charges against Ball, related to disturbing the peace and attempting to impede government business, were dropped.

As part of the plea arrangement, Ball acknowledged the riot at the Capitol caused nearly $3 million in damages to the Capitol, and he agreed to pay $500 in restitution to the architect of the historic governmental building.

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Complaint: Ball was in crowd that confronted officers in the Capitol

Filed in March, the criminal complaint against Ball includes photographs of him among hundreds of rioters who swarmed and broke into the Capitol as members of Congress worked to certify the results of the 2020 election. Before marching to the Capitol, rioters attended a rally at which then-President Donald Trump falsely stated the election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, had been rigged against him.

In the photos, Ball is seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and hat, both of which bear the name of Broken Glass Company, the business he owns on Post Road in Wells. Ball is seen talking and recording video on his cell phone and wandering inside the Capitol.

A photo in the criminal complaint filed against David Ball, of Wells, Maine, shows Ball outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the day rioters entered the building and disrupted Congress as it worked to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. (Credit: Provided)
A photo in the criminal complaint filed against David Ball, of Wells, Maine, shows Ball outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the day rioters entered the building and disrupted Congress as it worked to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. (Credit: Provided)

Ball’s actions on Jan. 6 are chronicled in a Statement of Offense, which he acknowledged as accurate and signed on Sept. 18.

According to the document, Ball crossed onto Capitol grounds, wearing a “Trump 2020” beanie and carrying a black flag depicting two shotguns and a skull, with the words, “2nd Amendment – 1789 – America’s Original Homeland Security.”

Ball entered the Capitol through the door to the Senate Wing after it had been kicked down by rioters minutes earlier. An alarm was blaring as he did so.

“Ball knew when he entered the Capitol building that he was not permitted to do so,” the document reads.

Ball also joined a crowd that was confronting a line of police officers who were trying to prevent the rioters from reaching farther inside the Capitol. Ball worked his way to the front of the crowd, chanting with others, pumping a fist in the air, and recording the confrontation on his cell phone, according to the Statement of Offense.

The crowd surged past the police and gained access to elsewhere in the Capitol, including the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. According to the court document, Ball remained in the crypt of the Capitol and its nearby hallways.

In all, Ball was inside the Capitol for approximately 18 minutes.

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How investigators identified Ball at the Capitol

According to the criminal complaint, federal authorities began investigating Ball in February 2021, after an anonymous tipster reported Ball was among the rioters at the Capitol the month before.

In April 2021, a second tipster provided authorities with photos allegedly showing Ball at the Capitol. The images were unclear, however, and the figure in them could not be verified as Ball.

A photo in the criminal complaint filed against David Ball, of Wells, Maine, shows Ball inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the day rioters entered the building and disrupted Congress as it worked to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.
A photo in the criminal complaint filed against David Ball, of Wells, Maine, shows Ball inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the day rioters entered the building and disrupted Congress as it worked to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Authorities received more photos from a “credible and reliable” source in March 2022, and those were clearer, showing an individual wearing clothing with “Broken Glass Company” on it. Using photos posted on social media, authorities were able to confirm Ball as the person in the pictures.

Using the photos, investigators watched security footage from Jan. 6 and located Ball and tracked his movements over the 18 minutes he was inside the building.

Authorities arrested Ball on March 23.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Wells man pleads guilty for actions during Jan. 6 riot at U.S. Capitol