Sikeston man guilty on three Jan. 6 charges

A Sikeston man pleaded guilty to two felonies and was found guilty of a third charge for his role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Nicholas L. Kennedy, 43, appeared before a judge in a bench trial in Washington, D.C. He pleaded guilty to two felony offenses of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and tampering with records, documents or other objects. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly also found Kennedy guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding.

Prosecutors said Kennedy, a member of the Proud Boys organization, was among the first wave of rioters who breached the restricted perimeter. They say he carried a two-by-four wooden plank and was part of the group that overwhelmed police. Kennedy entered the Capitol via the Senate Wing Door at 2:14 p.m., pulled a black gaiter over his face and pumped his fists in the air upon breaching the interior Capitol, the news release said. He lingered in the Capitol for 48 minutes while members of Congress took shelter.

The prosecution said Kennedy sent, received or created more than 100 images that demonstrated he believed the 2020 presidential election was “stolen,” along with his intent to stop Congress from certifying the election results.

The news release said Kennedy was one of a small group of Proud Boys who drove from St. Louis to Washington, D.C., to meet up with a group of Proud Boys from the Kansas City area. The group from Missouri then met with more than 100 Proud Boys to disrupt the official certification of Joe Biden’s election. The Proud Boys is considered a far-right militant organization that promotes political violence.

The day after the riot, Kennedy performed a factory reset of his iPhone, attempting to destroy evidence, the DOJ said. The FBI arrested Kennedy on July 28, 2021, in Sikeston.

FBI field offices in Washington and St. Louis investigated the case, along with assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department, the release stated.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington, D.C., and the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case.

Kennedy posted news of his guilty plea on his Facebook page, which describes his occupation as a sales professional at Autry Morlan in Sikeston. In a comment on his Facebook page, Kennedy thanked his friends for their prayers. He said he expected a sentence of 15 to 21 months.

The judge will sentence Kennedy on Aug. 28.

Kennedy is one of more than 1,200 people to have been charged for crimes relating to the Jan. 6 riot. Nearly 500 have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.