Lancaster County man pleads guilty to U.S. Capitol riot charge

A Lancaster County man facing criminal charges arising from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump pleaded guilty in federal court Monday.

Edward McAlanis of East Cocalico Township pleaded guilty to one of the four counts with which he was charged as part of a deal with prosecutors.

During a virtual hearing before U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich in Washington, McAlanis pleaded guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building. Charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds were dismissed.

The charge that McAlanis pleaded guilty to carries a maximum sentence of six months in federal prison and a $5,000 fine. The judge scheduled a sentencing date in February.

As part of the plea agreement, McAlanis admitted entering the Capitol building just before 3 p.m. even though he knew he was not allowed to do so. He acknowledged he was in the building for about 10 minutes and took pictures while inside.

The plea agreement nearly fell apart when in response to a question from the judge McAlanis said he wasn’t aware at the time he entered the Capitol that he wasn’t allowed inside the building.

“I didn’t know that I was committing a crime by going inside, otherwise I wouldn’t have done it,” he said.

The judge said the agreement indicated that he was aware, and that she couldn’t accept the plea if he was now saying he didn’t know he was breaking the law.

“If he didn’t know at the time that he entered the U.S. Capitol building that he did not have permission to go into the building and walk around in there, I don’t think I can take this plea,” Friedrich told defense attorney Frank Sluzis.

The judge suggested Sluzis discuss the issue with his client before proceeding. After a brief break, McAlanis reappeared at the virtual hearing and told the judge that he knew he was breaking the law when he went inside the Capitol.

The case

According to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, a tipster contacted the FBI four days after the attack to report that McAlanis was inside the Capitol during the insurrection.

The tipster provided two photos that McAlanis had sent to one of their mutual friends. One of the photos depicted McAlanis outside the Capitol, and the other showed McAlanis posing with a statue of Abraham Lincoln inside the building.

On May 20, the FBI identified a cellphone number associated with McAlanis and determined the phone had been in an area that includes the interior of the Capitol during the riot. Investigators also obtained records from AT&T and Facebook that tied McAlanis to the number.

McAlanis was arrested in Stevens on July 20 and released on $10,000 bail.

At the time of his arrest McAlanis was serving as chairman of the East Cocalico Township Recreation Board. He has since submitted a letter to the township supervisors stating that he would be taking a leave of absence from the post citing the charges against him.