MO gun dealer who feds say went to Capitol ‘dressed for war’ found guilty in Jan. 6 case

A central Missouri firearms dealer who prosecutors said went to the Capitol “dressed for war” on Jan. 6, 2021, was found guilty Thursday of one felony and four misdemeanor charges.

Matthew Loganbill, 56, of Versailles, was convicted of all charges against him: one felony count of obstruction of an official proceeding and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

The conviction came after a two-day bench trial last month before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in the District of Columbia. Loganbill’s sentencing is scheduled for March 12.

The government said that Loganbill — wearing a helmet, gas mask, backpack and carrying an American flag affixed to a pole — marched with a crowd toward the Capitol at about 1:20 p.m. on Jan. 6 and was among a group of rioters who illegally entered the grounds. Later, prosecutors said, he crawled under scaffolding that had been erected on the Lower West Terrace for President Joe Biden’s inauguration and then took the stairs to the Upper West Terrace doors.

Around 2:42 p.m., the government said, Loganbill moved to the front of the mob and came up against a line of officers blocking entrance into the building. When officers realized they were outnumbered and retreated, Loganbill and others in the crowd entered the building.

Once inside, prosecutors said, Loganbill went up the stairs and into the Rotunda. He joined a group that was resisting officers and was in the building until about 3:16 p.m.

After the riot, the government said, Loganbill sent several text messages and made multiple Facebook posts about his participation.

In a Jan. 7, 2021, Facebook post, he wrote: “We were trying every means possible to stop these idiots from stealing the presidency and destroying this nation.” He added later: “They didn’t [let us in] at the chamber, we could have over run them, after 10-15 minutes of back and forth, we walked out.”

At his trial, prosecutors said the evidence showed that Loganbill believed Biden won the 2020 election through fraud and that Loganbill wanted to stop Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote. Photos showed Loganbill inside the Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 6 wearing the helmet and gas mask while carrying the American flag.

“He came dressed for war,” said Brian Brady, a prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice. “He saw a war between the police and rioters that day. And he moved in.”

Loganbill’s attorneys admitted that Loganbill had trespassed — the Capitol was closed to visitors that day because of the COVID-19 pandemic — but said there was no proof that he intended to disrupt the certification of the election and was simply following the crowd and the wishes of former President Donald Trump.

His attorneys portrayed Loganbill as a peaceful family man, one of nine children who grew up on a rural Missouri farm. He married his high school sweetheart and has four children and 11 grandchildren.

“He’s a grandpa, spouting off on Facebook, frankly mimicking the bellicose language that was being used by the most powerful man in the world,” said Elizabeth Mullin, a federal public defender.

Loganbill is among 36 Capitol riot defendants from Missouri and the third to have a bench trial, in which a judge hears and decides a case without a jury. Lloyd Cruz, of Polo, was found guilty of two misdemeanors and sentenced in May to 45 days’ incarceration followed by one year of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $500 restitution for damage to the Capitol building.

Isaac Yoder, of Nevada, was found guilty on four misdemeanor counts and sentenced in August to 12 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. In addition, he was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $500 restitution.

As of Nov. 6, more than 1,200 people have been charged for their actions on Jan. 6. The majority of defendants have entered guilty pleas, but 127 people have been found guilty at contested trials.

Loganbill’s case, originally filed in March 2021, has dragged on for more than two-and-a-half years. In August, Jackson granted Loganbill’s motion to dismiss the case, finding that the government violated his right to a speedy trial by taking too long to prosecute him.

The government quickly refiled the case, and after the judge rejected his motions to dismiss most charges, he opted for the bench trial.