Two Chicago-area women plead guilty to breaching U.S. Capitol during Jan. 6 insurrection
Two Chicago-area women pleaded guilty Wednesday to breaching the U.S. Capitol building during the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to court records.
Trudy Castle, 57, and Kimberly DiFrancesco, 55, admitted to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, a Class B misdemeanor, the plea agreement says. The two appeared via Zoom in federal court in Washington, D.C.
The women are among more than 860 people arrested across the country for participating in the attack on the U.S. Capitol while elected officials prepared to certify Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021. More than 350 have pleaded guilty so far, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The pair were arrested in June after FBI investigators received a tip in 2021 from someone who reported that their spouse had received text messages of photos that appeared to have been taken from inside the U.S. Capitol building during the riots, according to court documents.
Investigators determined that the photos came from DiFrancesco, of Elmhurst, and that DiFrancesco had texted Castle, whose phone also used a cell site in the area of the Capitol building, the documents say. Investigators then found photo evidence of the women inside the Capitol.
According to a criminal complaint, Castle and DiFrancesco were seen on surveillance footage entering the Capitol building through a Senate wing door shortly after it had been breached by the unruly mob. Castle and DiFrancesco left the Capitol building after about 40 minutes, where Castle met up with her adult son.
At the time of her arrest, Castle was working as a property manager for a downtown Chicago real estate company.
The women are related, but their exact relationship was not stated in the charges.
The offense carries a possible sentence of up to 6 months in prison, 5 years of probation and a fine of up to $5,000 for the women.
Their sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 22.
