Southgate man convicted of rioting at the Capitol gets prison time, thousands in fines

A Southgate man who pushed his way into the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2001, insurrection, filmed himself doing so and then posted pictures about it on social media has been sentenced in federal court.

Anthony Robert Williams, 47, will spend 5 years in prison for his involvement that day, followed by three years of supervised release.

Williams is ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution.

He charged with:

● Obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting

● Entering and remaining in a restricted building

● Disorderly and disruptive contact in a restricted building

● Disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building

● Parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol Building

Williams was arrested in March 2021, and indicted the following month.

He was found guilty by a jury of all charges on June 30, 2022.

Williams’ trial was held before Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell.

The court found that his actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress, which convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Documented evidence, which in large part came from Williams’ own camera and social media posts, showed that he paraded around the interior of the building and appeared to be proud of what he had done.

The FBI retrieved this deleted photo of Anthony Williams at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. He posted it on his Facebook page and a tipster reported him. (Photo courtesy of the FBI)

His hashtags on his posts were #HOLDTHELINE and #NORETREAT NO SURRENDER.”

He also announced on social media his intention to travel to Washington to “storm the swamp.”

As in many cases against rioters who posted their actions on Facebook, a tipster turned Williams in to federal agents.

Rather than doubling down on his claims of “taking the (expletive deleted) building,” Williams deleted all of the photos and footage.

The FBI, however, later retrieved them.

Federal documents said Williams was on the northwest stairs outside the building and used bike racks put into place by police officers to assist other rioters in getting onto the stairs.

His video footage shows him scaling the railing after rioters breached the building.

Williams is seen inside the Senate wing door and filmed himself saying, “desperate times, desperate measures.”

Court records show that he resisted the efforts of law enforcement officers trying to push the mob out of the area and as one of the last of the rioters to be forced out of that area.

Documents have him inside of the building for about an hour.