Quincy Couple Pleads Guilty To Role in Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Breach

By Benjamin Cox on February 2, 2023 at 5:58am

A Quincy couple accused of being a part of the mob that entered the U.S. Capitol on January 6th two years ago pled guilty yesterday to federal charges.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Christina & Jason Gerding pled guilty to parading, demonstrating and picketing inside the Capitol building. The two will be sentenced in May and could face up to six months in prison and fines of up to $5,000.

The Gerdings were arrested at an unnamed location in Central Illinois just a few weeks after the Capitol Riot after the FBI said it received tips that identified the couple as participating in the attack at the Capitol, including one that provided a Twitter account linked to Jason Gerding and a photo of the couple holding hands in the Capitol Rotunda found on other social media.

The Gerdings’ case documents were the first from Illinois to directly reference the conspiracy theory community of Q-Anon. A Twitter account linked to Jason Gerding in the criminal affidavit referenced upcoming events at the Capitol a month before they took place.

The couple remains free on recognizance until their sentencing.