Cross man pleads guilty to felony charge for role in Jan. 6 Capitol breach

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCBD)—A Berkeley County man charged in the January 6, 2021, breach at the U.S. Capitol has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge related to his role in the breach.

Christopher George Rockey, 54, of Cross, agreed to plead guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer.

Rockey’s sentencing date for the felony charge will be November 12. The charge carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release.

Authorities arrested Rockey in December 2023. Court documents released say that Rockey was seen entering the Capitol through the Senate wing in the Rotunda with rioters before 2:30 p.m.

Rockey then exited the building through the East Front Doors around 2:44 p.m. and joined rioters on the Northside Upper Terrace.

Video surveillance shows Rockey pushing and grabbing a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer’s riot shield and striking the officer in the face, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Shortly after, in a separate encounter, documents state that Rockey grabbed an MPD officer’s baton and a separate officer’s riot shield.

Authorities used cellphone location data and security camera footage to identify Rockey from the day of that riot in the Nation’s capital.