A man photographed waving a Confederate flag inside the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was convicted by Federal Judge Trevor McFadden on Wednesday, according to court documents.
McFadden found Kevin Seefried, 53, and his son, Hunter, 24, guilty of the felony of the obstruction of an official proceeding, the certification of the 2020 presidential vote.
The judge also found the father and son guilty of four misdemeanors each, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol Building, disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building.
The younger Seefried faced a charge for helping to break a window by plucking out a shard of glass that remained in the frame, but McFadden acquitted him of that and three other charges related to his actions at the Capitol.
This was the eighth case to go to trial stemming from the events of January 6. Seven cases have resulted in guilty verdicts, with convictions including obstruction, theft of property, and trespassing.
One case, also heard by Judge McFadden, resulted in a full acquittal.
Prosecutors argued that Seefried and his son were in the first wave of protesters to enter the Capitol, climbing in through a broken window near the Senate wing door that others previously shattered.
Government evidence showed that Kevin Seefried carried the Confederate flag into the Capitol, and both Seefrieds were reportedly part of a group that followed Officer Eugene Goodman and “verbally harassed” other Capitol Police officers, according to the Department of Justice.
Officer Goodman, whose actions on January 6 were captured in a widely circulated video, testified in the trial. Goodman was seen in the video leading demonstrators away from lawmakers inside the House and Senate chambers.
During his time on the stand, Officer Goodman testified that the Seefrieds were among those protesters who became violent, spraying him with what he believed to be bear spray, throwing objects at him, and trying to shake him and other officers off scaffolding.
“It looked like something out of medieval times,” Officer Goodman said.
Officer Goodman also testified that he had attempted to prevent Kevin Seefried from progressing toward the Senate chamber and that Mr. Seefried “jabbed” at him three times with the Confederate flag.
Meanwhile, defense attorneys argued that the Seefrieds were not at the Capitol to interrupt the certification of the vote, according to the Associated Press.
Lawyer Eugene Ohm argued that the “Stop the Steal” rally brought individuals together for innocent reasons, and the government needed to show proof of Seefried’s intent apart from the rally.
During closing arguments, Ohm also contended that the government did not show any evidence that Kevin Seefried “knew that there was anything to obstruct,” CBS News reported.
Neither defendant testified at the bench trial.
“Although defendants did not explicitly admit their guilt, they made no real effort to refute the government’s evidence,” McFadden said, according to news outlet WUSA 9.
The obstruction charge on which both men were convicted carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The sentencing phase for the Seefrieds will take place in September, according to court documents.
