Federal prosecutors said the investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol is already the largest criminal investigation in the history of the Justice Department. And even now, more than three years later, its momentum shows little sign of slowing down.
Each week, several more rioters are arrested and charges are dismissed against them in federal district court in Washington. Prosecutors have suggested that a total of 2,000 or 2,500 people could ultimately be charged for their role in the attack.
As of the beginning of this month, more than 1,380 people had been charged in connection with the attack, according to the Justice Department. The most common charges brought against them are two misdemeanors: unlawful parading inside the Capitol and entering or remaining in a federally restricted area, a type of trespassing.
Approximately 350 rioters have been charged with violating the obstruction law, which is being considered by the Supreme Court, and nearly 500 people have been charged with assaulting police officers. Many rioters have been charged with multiple crimes, the most serious so far being seditious conspiracy.
Nearly 800 defendants have already pleaded guilty. About 250 of them were charged with felonies. Prosecutors have won the majority of cases that go to trial, with more than 150 defendants being convicted at trial and only two being completely acquitted.
More than 850 people have been sentenced so far, with about 520 receiving at least a prison sentence. The harshest penalties have been handed down to former leaders of the far-right extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who played a central role in the attack on the Capitol.
Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and former Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison.