SC man pleads guilty to assaulting police officers during Jan. 6 Capitol riot

A South Carolina man pleaded guilty Wednesday to assaulting law officers with a dangerous weapon during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Nicholas Languerand, 26, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon. The charge is a felony. He will be sentenced on Jan. 20.

Languerand made his plea Wednesday before U.S. District Judge John Bates, who engaged in a long conversation with him to make sure he understood the weight and specifics of the government’s evidence, as well as his rights to a trial.

A plea agreement between the government and Languerand indicates that Languerand could get up to 57 months in prison or more for pleading guilty, the judge said. But Bates said he would not set the exact sentence until the government completes a pre-sentence investigation.

Languerand is pleading guilty to one count of a seven-count indictment. The government will drop the other six counts.

“You must acknowledge your guilt on this charge in order for me to accept your plea, do you understand that?” Bates asked during an approximate 40-minute hearing.

“Yes, your honor,” Languerand said.

“How do you plead to the charge, guilty or not guilty?” the judge asked.

“Guilty, your honor,” Languerand said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Juman summed up the evidence, saying the government could prove all the elements of the charge “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Juman also described exactly how dangerous Languerand’s actions were when he heaved objects at police.

“Based on the size and weight of the objects, as well as the speed and force with which Languerand threw them, the items were capable of inflicting serious bodily injury,” Juman said. “Additionally, at about 5 p.m., Languerand took possession of a police riot shield, struck it against the ground, and then held it in front of him as he confronted U.S. Capitol police and Metropolitan police.”

The judge asked Languerand if he did what the government stated.

“Yes, I did, your honor,” Languerand said.

Languerand was one of thousands of protesters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 bent on stopping a formal counting of electoral votes by both chambers of Congress to certify Joe Biden as the winner of last November’s presidential election. He was one of a smaller number of those thousands who engaged in violent actions.

Languerand is the second person from South Carolina, of 11 arrested so far who were in the riot, to plead guilty in the case.

The first, Andrew Hatley, pleaded guilty to demonstrating in a Capitol building and will be sentenced Dec. 16.

Languerand was in a group of aggressive rioters on Jan. 6 standing near an archway outside the Capitol that led to a door leading to the interior of the building, according to evidence in the case. That area was the scene of some particularly violent clashes between the rioters and police, according to evidence.

That evidence against Languerand included numerous images on U.S. Capitol security tapes, according to court documents that contained the images.

Nearly three hours after the riot started between 4:50 and 5 p.m. that day, Languerand threw various objects U.S. Capitol and Washington police, including an orange traffic barrier and two stick objects.

Languerand had been living in Vermont, but moved to Little River, a community just north of Myrtle Beach, to live with his grandparents after the riot. He got a job with an Horry County firm.

He was arrested by the FBI April 15 at his grandparents’ home, and has since been held in jail without bond.

Due to the nature of the offense, Languerand will remain in jail, the judge said.

An Aug. 19 order by Bates determined that Languerand posed a danger to the public and should not go free until trial. Languerand had a history of extremist and false conspiracy beliefs, violence, confrontational behavior and access to a variety of weapons, the judge wrote in explaining his decision to keep Languerand in jail.

“Defendant’s decision to engage in violence in order to subvert the orderly transition of power is the principal consideration here, and it weighs strongly in favor of detention,” Bates wrote.

Evidence showed that Languerand was more violent and aggressive during the riot than those who, though illegally in the Capitol, merely wandered through the Capitol, the judge wrote.

“Whereas other demonstrators hung back, Mr. Languerand placed himself among the front ranks of the rioters, violently confronting the police officers seeking to protect members of Congress and secure the Capitol,” the judge wrote. “Mr. Languerand’s actions unmistakably suggest an intent to harm those officers.”

In his order, the judge also noted that Languerand had a “fervent dedication to false conspiracy theories,” including the QAnon conspiracy theory and that evidence showed he believed last November’s presidential election had been stolen by the Democrats.

The judge also noted that material on Languerand’s cellphone linked him to right-wing militias such as the Proud Boys and Three Percenters.

Languerand also had a note on his cell phone that said, “If you are ok with fraudulently certifying an election to win, then I’m ok with attacking a government building to stop you,” the judge wrote.

Some 150 police officers were injured by rioters, according to government and newspaper reports.

Since Jan. 6, more than 650 people have been arrested for various offenses in the storming of the Capitol, including nearly 200 for alleged assaulting or impeding law officers. The cases are being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington.

The investigation, the largest ever handled by the U.S. Department of Justice, remains ongoing.

This story was originally published November 3, 2021 at 2:40 PM.