January 6 rioter who took beer from Pelosi’s office pleads guilty

By Marshall Cohen

An Oklahoma man who took a beer from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the January 6 insurrection pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor offense.

Andrew Ericson, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of illegally protesting inside the US Capitol, which has become a standard charge for rioters who aren’t accused of any violent activity.

As part of his plea, Ericson acknowledged that he “took a beer out of a mini refrigerator” that was located “inside the Speaker’s Conference Room or other office space,” according to court documents unsealed on Thursday. He was never specifically charged with stealing the beer.

He live-streamed from inside the Capitol on January 6, which some of his followers recorded and shared with the FBI, according to court filings. A public Facebook post containing a clip from Ericson’s Snapchat shows him pulling a bottle of Corona Light from a mini refrigerator.

The crime of illegally demonstrating in the Capitol could land Ericson in jail for up to six months, though he’ll likely receive far less than that. Defendants rarely get the maximum punishment, and similarly situated rioters who pleaded guilty to the same charge have received probation.

His sentence will be handed down by district Judge Trevor McFadden on December 10.

As of Thursday afternoon, more than 615 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol insurrection, and 75 have pleaded guilty, according to CNN’s latest tally of court filings.

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