Man pleads guilty to 2021 bomb threat forcing Capitol Hill evacuations

A North Carolina man who engaged in an hours-long standoff with police over a bomb threat near the U.S. Capitol in August 2021 pleaded guilty on Friday, according to reports.

Floyd Roseberry, who has since said he was in the midst of a psychotic break caused by ineffective treatment for his bipolar disorder, pleaded guilty to threatening to use explosive materials, The Washington Post reported.  

Prosecutors agreed to drop a more serious charge against Roseberry for attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, which carried a potential life sentence. Roseberry faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the remaining charge.

On Friday, Roseberry told the judge that he is currently mentally stable, the Post reported.

“I’m now under the correct medication,” he said. “It took me years to find the right medication.”

Roseberry parked his car in front of the Library of Congress near the U.S. Capitol on the morning of Aug. 19, 2021. He claimed to have an explosive device in his car on a Facebook livestream, leading to the evacuation of the Capitol complex and nearby homes.

After a nearly five-hour standoff, Roseberry surrendered to police. Authorities did not find a bomb in his car but said they did find a small amount of “smokeless black powder,” according to the Post.