South Georgia attorney arrested in Macon found guilty of felony in Jan. 6 riot case
A jury found an Americus man guilty of a felony and multiple misdemeanors Tuesday for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol building, officials said.
William McCall Calhoun, 59, was found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, and four misdemeanor charges in a U.S District court in District of Columbia Tuesday, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Starting the day of the insurrection, law enforcement found evidence that Calhoun, a practicing defense lawyer, posted about the riot on social media both in advance and while he was there, the release said.
Calhoun was arrested in Macon in January of 2021: he had been staying at his sister’s house here in the week following the riot.
In his bedroom at the Macon house where he was arrested, investigators at the time said they found a Glock pistol and brass knuckles on the nightstand along with four rifles, including a pair of AR-15-style weapons, and four shotguns. Ammunition boxes nearby were said to contain hundreds if not more than 1,000 rounds.
When law enforcement searched Calhoun’s phone they found video of him saying “This is it. We’re storming the Capitol,” before entering the building, according to the release. Calhoun apparently walked through the federal building and eventually ended up outside then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office.
Calhoun also posted about the riot on Facebook afterwards, the release said.
“Today the American People proved we have the power. We physically took control of the Capitol building in a hand to hand hostile takeover,” Calhoun said, according to the release. “We occupied the Capitol and shut down the Government – we shut down their stolen election shenanigans . . .”
Police arrested Calhoun in Macon Jan. 15, 2021. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 6.
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich, who heard the case and delivered the verdict, implied she would deliver a shorter sentence than typical for felonies because others involved with the riot faced lesser charges, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported.
Friedrich expressed her doubt for the felony charges throughout the case, according to the AJC, but clearly found Calhoun guilty when the verdict was read.
Calhoun’s codefendant, Verden Andrew Nalley of Buford, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to two years probation, the AJC reported.
