DA: Upstate man pleads guilty to felony charges for actions during Jan. 6 Capitol breach

ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - A South Carolina man pleaded guilty to two felony charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

U.S. Attorney’s Office said George Amos Tenney III, 35, of Anderson pleaded guilty to civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding. We’re told Tenney and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Court documents say George Amos Tenney III, 35, of Anderson, made plans in December of 2020 to travel to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. He sent a Facebook message on Dec. 28, 2020, that stated, among other things, “It’s starting to look like we may siege the capital building and congress if the electoral votes don’t go right.”

We’re told Tenney illegally entered the Capitol building at approximately 2:24 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021. While there, he tried to open the Rotunda doors to allow the rioters inside and had contact with multiple federal employees while doing so.

A police officer who was outside tried to push them closed, and Tenney resisted, pushing against the door to try to keep it open, according to the documents. An employee of the House Sergeant at Arms then ran towards Tenney, pushing him aside in an effort to close the door. Tenney grabbed the employee by the shoulder. He and other rioters surrounded the employee, and a heated conversation began. A rioter from outside the doors forced his way inside and pushed the employee of the House Sergeant at Arms away.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Tenney was arrested on June 29, 2021 in Anderson. Tenney was arrested on June 29, 2021 in Anderson. He is to be sentenced on Oct. 20, 2022. He faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison in prison on the civil disorder charge and up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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