A North Carolina man was sentenced to prison for assaulting police officers with a flag pole in the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol building.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, 61-year-old Anthony Mastanduno was sentenced to nearly five years in prison, and a two-year supervised release after pleading guilty.
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Court documents state that Mastanduno, a resident of Rutherford County, entered the Capitol building at 2:17 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, four minutes after it was breached by rioters.
Two hours later inside the Capitol building, Mastanduno joined other rioters in attacking uniformed police officers who were defending the tunnel. During the attack, according to the court documents, he picked up a blue, flagpole-like object and threw it like a “javelin or spear” at officers, then grabbed a police shield and pushed against the line of officers while hitting them with a “telescoping baton.”
The FBI arrested Mastanduno on Aug. 23, 2023, in North Carolina and charged him with the following crimes.
Felonies:
- Civil disorder
- Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon
- Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon
- Engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon.
- Two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers using a deadly or dangerous weapon
Misdemeanors:
- Disorderly conduct in a Capitol building
- Act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or building, parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building
Since the riots at the U.S. Capitol, more than 1,450 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol, and more than 500 individuals have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Authorities says the investigation is ongoing and anyone with tips can contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or online.