Tallahassee man charged in Jan. 6 insurrection sentenced to 3 years in federal prison

A Tallahassee man was sentenced to almost 3½ years in federal prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Raymund Joseph Cholod, 54, was sentenced Tuesday to 40 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta in Washington, D.C.

He had pleaded guilty in February to a felony count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

The FBI arrested Cholod in November 2023 in Miami — making him one of thousands who are facing consequences for their participation in the infamous Capitol takeover and riot.

"In the 41 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,450 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. "The investigation remains ongoing."

Background on the arrest: Feds says Tallahassee man arrested in Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol, assault on police officers

Though the press release identifies him as a Tallahassee resident, the government's sentencing memorandum filed last month says Cholod "currently works at a McDonald’s in Tampa and lives in a homeless shelter, despite owning two pieces of real estate in New York and Florida."

Aside from federal court documents, there was little sign in public records of Cholod residing in Tallahassee, according to a 2022 Tallahassee Democrat report . He does have some connection to North Florida – on Sept. 27, he registered to vote in Jefferson County, according to voter registration records.

The address he listed on his voter registration form is the same as a motel and lounge in Monticello. He registered with no party affiliation. Records show he most recently resided in St. Petersburg and previously lived in Orlando, Houston and New York, among other places.

"It adds: ""He has a history of mental illness (and) no criminal history aside from convictions for traffic infractions. Cholod appears to have had a stable upbringing, free from poverty, abuse or neglect," the sentencing memorandum states. "He had every opportunity to make other choices on January 6, 2021, but he chose to drive to the Capitol and attack the police for more than two hours, all because he was upset about the outcome of an election."

Cholod was among first group of rioters

On Jan. 6, 2021, Cholod was among a mob of rioters gathered in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel that leads into the U.S. Capitol building, according to the news release.

Around 2:40 p.m., Cholod was part of one of the first groups of rioters in the tunnel, pushing his way to the front and confronting police officers.

"Over the course of more than two hours, members of the mob threw items at police, struck police with items, sprayed police with chemical irritants, pushed against the police, and stole items from the police defending the tunnel," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Court records say that Cholod was responsible for throwing a long stick directly at the line of law enforcement officers.

"He pointed and shook his finger at officers and shouted, among other things, 'This is our house … This is our (expletive) house ... They stole it and you know it. They (expletive) stole it,' " court records say.

Confidential source leads to arrest

As previously reported, the FBI received a tip from a confidential source in February 2022, tying Cholod to a motel in St. Petersburg.

FBI agents interviewed employees at the unnamed motel. After showing surveillance photos from the U.S. Capitol, two employees said he had been a guest in 2019.

A former direct supervisor of Cholod was later contacted and identified him as the man in surveillance photos at the U.S. Capitol.

Breaking & trending news reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com . Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee man charged in Jan. 6 insurrection sentenced to 3 years in federal prison