Missouri elementary school teacher and husband plead guilty in Capitol riot case

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect Kelsey Wilson’s job status.

A Springfield Christian elementary school teacher and her husband each pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to one misdemeanor charge in connection with the U.S. Capitol insurrection.

Kelsey and Zachary Wilson entered guilty pleas to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building on Jan. 6. Their plea agreement hearing in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was held via videoconference.

A sentencing date has been set for Dec. 10. Both face a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Both also are required to pay $500 restitution for damage to the Capitol building on Jan. 6, which prosecutors say totaled about $1.5 million.

Zachary Wilson, 32, was originally charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building. Kelsey Wilson, 30, was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. All the counts were misdemeanors. As part of the plea agreement, the government dropped the original cases against the two and then charged them with the single count.

The Wilsons are the second and third of the 14 Missouri residents charged in the Capitol riot case to enter guilty pleas. St. Louis County resident Nicholas Reimler pleaded guilty on Sept. 17 to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Authorities have arrested more than 650 people in connection with the Capitol invasion. So far, more than 70 have pleaded guilty, the majority to misdemeanors. The rest of the cases are pending, and about 70 defendants, including Proud Boy William Chrestman of Olathe, remain in jail awaiting trial.

The FBI became aware of Zachary Wilson’s involvement in the Capitol breach in January after receiving an anonymous tip, according to court records. The tipster said Zachary Wilson had posted on his Facebook account that he’d entered the Capitol and while inside went into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. The tipster provided a screenshot of Zachary Wilson’s now-deleted Facebook post, which indicated that Kelsey Wilson was with him at the time he entered the Capitol.

An agent interviewed Zachary Wilson at his residence on Jan. 20 and Wilson admitted to entering Pelosi’s office, the documents said. Wilson also recorded an 18-second video taken inside the speaker’s office, which he provided to the agent.

“Wilson stated the reason he entered the U.S. Capitol was because he wanted his ‘voice to be heard’ as he was a strong supporter of President Donald Trump,” the documents said. “Wilson said that he did not participate in any destruction of property while at the U.S. Capitol.“

FBI investigators interviewed Kelsey and Zachary Wilson on Jan. 18 at their home in Springfield, the documents said. During the interview, both said they had been on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6 but denied entering the building.

An FBI agent interviewed Zachary Wilson a second time at his home on Jan. 20, according to the documents. Zachary Wilson then admitted entering the Capitol building but said his wife did not go inside.

On Jan. 22, the documents said, an FBI agent interviewed a co-worker of Kelsey Wilson’s who had accompanied the couple to Washington, D.C. That person said he/she waited on the Capitol grounds when the couple went inside the building, according to the documents. The Wilsons were inside for about 30 minutes, the co-worker told the FBI.

The person shared photos and videos with investigators. One photo showed Kelsey Wilson wearing a black, white and gold beanie, white pants, a gray long-sleeved shirt and a “Keep America Great Again” pro-Trump flag wrapped around her body.

On Jan. 23, the documents said, the FBI received a DVD from the U.S. Capitol Police that contained surveillance video that showed Zachary and Kelsey Wilson walking inside the building on January 6 in the same hallway where Pelosi’s office is located.

Zachary Wilson was charged on Feb. 12 and arrested a week later at his Springfield home. On Feb. 22, the documents said, the FBI received more video surveillance footage that showed the Wilsons walking around the Capitol Rotunda. Kelsey Wilson was charged on Aug. 2. The charging documents do not say why authorities waited for six months to charge her.

Both Wilsons were released on a personal recognizance bond pending trial. According to a court document, Kelsey Wilson was a teacher at Dayspring Christian School in Springfield. She had just started the job at the beginning of July, the document showed, but didn’t expect to hold the position for long.

“The defendant advised she is a first grade teacher,” it said, “and believes her employment will be terminated following her arrest.”

The school said after her arrest last month that Kelsey Wilson had been placed on administrative leave pending further review. On Tuesday morning, the office administrator emailed The Star in response to a question regarding her job status.

“Kelsey Wilson is no longer employed at Dayspring Christian School,” it said.