Sewell farmer admits role in U.S. Capitol riot

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A South Jersey farmer has admitted his role in the U.S. Capitol riot.

Ezekiel “Zeke” Stecher, 48, of Mantua, who was accused of pushing against a line of police officers at a Capitol entrance, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of civil disorder, a court record shows.

The U.S. Justice Department will request dismissal of five misdemeanor charges under a plea agreement.

An attorney for Stecher could not be reached for immediate comment.

At the time of his arrest, the Justice Department said video showed Stecher repeatedly pushing forward as rioters confronted a police line inside a tunnel at a Capitol entrance.

More: Sentencing ahead for Stedman Jury returns verdict in case of Patrick Stedman, Capitol riot suspect from Haddonfield

One video showed Stecher advancing until he was inside the first set of doors off the Lower West Terrace during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Video showed Zeke Stecher at Capitol riot

Stecher was recorded “pushing against the line of … officers who are blocking the second set of metal-and-glass double doors," according to a March 2021 criminal complaint.

According to a statement filed with the plea agreement, Stecher acknowledged he got "caught up in it" with other rioters when pushing toward officers in the tunnel.

Stecher was repeatedly sprayed with chemical irritants during his time on the Lower West Terrace, the affidavit says.

The FBI was alerted to Stecher's presence at the riot when a video was uploaded to a tip line on Jan. 18, 2021.

"On the video, the man is asked by someone, 'What is your name? Where are you from?" says an affidavit filed with a March 2021 criminal complaint.

The man, wearing a hat with the name of a farm-supply business, answered, "Zeke Stecher from New Jersey," the affidavit continues.

The FBI then questioned another South Jersey farmer, who identified Stecher from an image taken from the riot.

Riot suspect from South Jersey farm family

Stecher initially was confined to his house after his arrest in March 2021. That restriction was lifted after Stecher noted he was unable to work in the fields of his 150-acre fruit-and-vegetable farm.

Stecher’s family has owned the farm between Bridgeton Pike and Breakneck Road since 1905, according to the website of Jersey Fresh, the state Department of Agriculture’s marketing arm.

Stecher had faced additional charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.

He also was accused of disorderly conduct and committing acts of physical violence in a Capitol grounds or buildings.

The plea deal recommends a sentencing guideline of incarceration for zero to six months for Stecher, who has no prior criminal record.

The agreement also proposes a fine from $2,000 to $20,000.

Stecher is also expected to pay $2,000 in restitution for damage caused by the rioters.

U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for Sept. 7 in Washington, D.C., federal court.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email him at jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Sewell farmer Zeke Stecher pleads to felony charge for Capitol riot