WASHINGTON (WWNY) – A Watertown man has pleaded guilty to a felony charge for his part in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Twenty-five-year-old Rafael Rondon pleaded guilty in a federal court in Washington, D.C. on Monday to obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting an obstruction of an official proceeding.
His mother, 56-year-old Maryann Mooney-Rondon, also faces charges but has pleaded not guilty. She’s awaiting further court action.
According to court documents, the two entered the Capitol illegally after attending a rally at the Ellipse earlier. This was the rally where some say then-President Donald Trump incited his followers to attack the Capitol.
The pair are accused of entering House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office and helping another person steal a laptop from a nearby conference room.
Court papers allege they also each stole an escape hood and satchel — essentially a disposable gas mask — from the Senate Gallery. The escape hoods are for use by members of Congress and staff.
Rondon is scheduled for sentencing on March 13, when he will face a maximum of 20 years in prison.
At one point in their investigation, the FBI mistakenly raided an Alaska home in their search for Rondon, Mooney-Rondon, and the stolen laptop.
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