A New Jersey gym owner pleaded guilty in federal court on Aug. 6 for his role in the attempted coup d’état at the U.S. Capitol.
Sussex County resident Scott Kevin Fairlamb became the first New Jerseyan to admit to taking part in the violent Jan. 6 attack and he is the first of the terrorists to plead guilty to attacking police during the Trump-inspired riot.
Fairlamb, who has been in jail since his January arrest, entered the guilty plea to one count of obstruction and one count of assaulting an officer.
As part of the deal, Fairlamb agreed to cooperate with the FBI as it continues the investigation of the insurrection.
Fairlamb, 44, of Stockholm, New Jersey, traveled to Washington on Jan. 6 to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally.
After arriving on Capitol grounds, Fairlamb climbed the scaffolding on the west terrace, where he recorded and posted a video to Instagram in which he stated, “We ain’t f****** leaving either! We ain’t f****** leaving!”
According to his plea, Fairlamb was part of a large crowd that forcibly pushed through a line of police officers and metal barricades.
He obtained a collapsible police baton from the ground and posted a video to Facebook displaying the baton.
In the video he said, “What Patriots do? We f****** disarm them and then we storm the f****** Capitol.”
He carried the police baton when he illegally entered the building and walked past broken glass of a shattered window.
Once he exited, Fairlamb inserted himself into a line of MPD officers where he, unprovoked, shoved and punched an officer.
Fairlamb pleaded guilty to counts two and three of the superseding indictment that charged him with obstruction of an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 27 at 11 a.m.
He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for obstruction of an official proceeding, and up to eight years and a $250,000 fine for assault on law enforcement.
Fairlamb will remain behind bars pending sentencing. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting the cases, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Jersey and Western District of Washington.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the USCP, the MPD and FBI’s Seattle and Newark Field Offices.
In the seven months since Jan. 6, more than 570 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 170 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/press-release/file/1422306/download
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/press-release/file/1422301/download