A Florida man who previously resided in Orange County has pleaded guilty to one felony charge related to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the United States Capitol.
Kevin Louis Galetto, 63, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers.
Galetto, who lives in Merritt Island, Florida, but previously resided in Westminster, attended the rally in Washington D.C. ahead of Congress’s certification of the 2020 Presidential Election.
The rally became violent and deadly after a massive crowd of supporters of then-President Donald Trump attempted to gain entry into the Capitol in a futile attempt to stop the counting of electoral votes.
Galetto, prosecutors stated, “engaged in violence” in the Lower West Tunnel of the Capitol.
He was part of a group that was among the first to enter the tunnel, which was being defended by a large police presence.
Galetto, who was wearing pro-Trump clothing, was part of a group that engaged officers in the tunnel, some of whom engaged in “acts of violence,” according to the United Stated Department of Justice.
Body-worn camera footage showed Galetto pushing against shields wielded by Metropolitan Police Department officers. He was also seen involved in a “scuffle” with officers, the DOJ said.
At one point, after retreating from the tunnel, Galetto called out to the crowd of Trump supporters urging the need for “more people” to join another effort to get past police. He remained near the tunnel for more than an hour and a half and was part of one of the final pushes against officers, evidence showed.
“Galetto’s extended presence in the tunnel and his violent confrontation with officers as part of the crowd presented an immediate risk of injury to person or damage to property,” the DOJ said in a news release.
Galetto apparently texted a friend later that evening after clearing out from the Capitol and wrote that politicians “need to be overthrown.” He also erroneously referred to then-Vice President Mike Pence as a “trader,” apparently meaning to use the word “traitor.”
He was arrested in Westminster months later on April 23, 2021 and was charged for his role in the Capitol riot.
The case against Galetto was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and was investigated by the FBI Field Offices in Los Angeles and D.C.
Galetto is one of more than 1,000 people who have been arrested for their roles in the U.S. Capitol breach, including 320 who have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
His sentencing is set for August 8.
The investigation into the riot at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 remains ongoing and anyone with tips that might lead to arrests of those involved can be directed toward the FBI online or by calling 1-800-225-5324.