Former Fall River grocer and Swansea resident Michael St. Pierre has been found guilty on four counts related to his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
St. Pierre waived his right to a jury trial and was tried in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by Judge Jia M. Cobb.
Cobb on Wednesday found St. Pierre guilty of civil disorder, destruction of government property, disorderly conduct in the Capitol building and committing an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or building. The civil disorder conviction is a felony.
He was found not guilty of three other counts, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct and engaging in physical violence on a restricted building.
St. Pierre was released on his own recognizance.
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What happened in the case, and St. Pierre's participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot
St. Pierre participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
At the time the owner of the Family Foods Grocery Outlet on William Canning Boulevard in Fall River, St. Pierre told The Herald News in a January 2021 interview that he traveled to Washington, D.C., with his wife and daughter. There, he took part in a parade supporting then-President Donald Trump and protested the outcome of the 2020 election, which Trump lost to President Joe Biden.
Federal prosecutors introduced evidence from St. Pierre's Facebook page in the period after the 2020 election and before the Jan. 6 riot indicating that St. Pierre intended "to go raise hell for the constitution" on Jan. 6 and "help stop the certification of a crooked, dementia patient." He had also printed T-shirts with the image of the Capitol dome and the text "STOP THE STEAL BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY! PATRIOTS MUST RISE JANUARY 6TH."
In a live video posted to his own Facebook page, St. Pierre — who used the Facebook name "Mike Stadium" — was seen wearing head gear and a flak jacket marching toward the Capitol.
"That’s where the meeting ground is, hopefully they’ll bust through and I’ll join them to rush the Capitol, to grab Nancy Pelosi by the hair and f—— twirl her around," he said.
'Caught up in the moment': Fall River store owner regrets his actions at Capitol riots
St. Pierre was later caught on video in a mob of violent rioters throwing an object inside open doors of the Capitol.
Federal prosecutors alleged in their trial brief that St. Pierre attempted to egg on rioters at the Capitol’s North Doors with a megaphone, while uniformed police officers blocked entry and attempted to hold off the mob with fire extinguishers.
“During this time, the defendant stated loud and clear in his megaphone exactly what he hoped to achieve. He said 'We are going to storm this b----!’” prosecutors stated, and urged rioters at the doors to "group up for one big push.”
“Despite knowing uniformed law enforcement officers were just behind the closed North Doors, the defendant then threw a flagpole topper at a glass window in the door causing a loud noise on impact," prosecutors wrote.
In the January 2021 interview, St. Pierre said he regretted his actions. At the time he said he’s “kind of mad at Trump,” and that he believed the president should have known he was inciting his supporters to violence.
He said at the time that he believed the 2020 election was rigged, but then saw no proof.
“I kind of wish I’d never gone and I’m done with politics. It’s not worth it,” he said at the time.
What happens to St. Pierre now
St. Pierre’s case has been referred to the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services office for presentencing investigation.
The charge of interfering with a law enforcement officer during the commission of a civil disorder carries a fine, a sentence of up to five years, or both.
His sentencing is set for March 14.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Swansea man found guilty of civil disorder in Jan. 6 Capitol riots: Here's what may happen
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