Pittsfield Man Sentenced to Prison in U.S. Capitol Breach

Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man has been sentenced to prison for his actions at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 
 
Troy Sargent, 38, was sentenced Monday in the District of Columbia to 14 months in prison for felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol, civil disorder, and four related misdemeanor offenses, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
 
Sargent pleaded guilty on June 27, 2022, to all six charges against him.
 
He and others' actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
 
According to court documents, Sargent was part of a crowd of rioters illegally on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6. At approximately 2:30 p.m., he stepped forward from the crowd and swung his open hand toward a U.S. Capitol Police Officer, making contact with the officer. Immediately afterward, another officer instructed Sargent and others, "Do not start attacking people."
 
Thirty seconds later, at approximately 2:31 p.m., Sargent again advanced toward the front of the crowd and swung his open hand toward the same officer; this time, he made contact with someone else in the crowd. In this second incident, Sargent intended to make contact with the same officer. In a social media message later, he wrote to another person, "I got two hits in on the same rookie cop … ."
 
Sargent was arrested on March 9, 2021, in Pittsfield. In addition to the term of incarceration, he was ordered to complete two years of supervised release and to pay $500 restitution and a $285 special assessment.
 
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department's National Security Division are prosecuted the case, with assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
 
The FBI's Boston Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI's Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department
 
In the 23 months since Jan. 6, 2021, approximately 900 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 280 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.

Tags: FBI,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield City Council Weighs in on 'Crisis' in Public Schools

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

A half-dozen people addressed the City Council from the floor of Monday's meeting, including Valerie Anderson, right.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After expressing anger and outrage and making numerous calls for accountability and transparency, the 11 members of the City Council on Monday voted to support the School Committee in seeking an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct by staff members at Pittsfield High School that have come to light in recent weeks.
 
At the close of a month that has seen three PHS administrators put on administrative leave, including one who was arrested on drug trafficking charges, the revelation that the district is facing a civil lawsuit over inappropriate conduct by a former teacher and that a staff member who left earlier in the year is also under investigation at his current workplace, the majority of the council felt compelled to speak up about the situation.
 
"While the City Council does not have jurisdiction over the schools … we have a duty to raise our voices and amplify your concerns and ensure this crisis is met with the urgency it demands," Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey said.
 
About two dozen community members attended the special meeting of the council, which had a single agenda item.
 
Four of the councilors precipitated the meeting with a motion that the council join the School Committee in its search for an investigation and that the council, "be included in the delivery of any disclosures, interim reports or findings submitted to the city."
 
Last week, the School Committee decided to launch that investigation. On Monday, City Council President Peter White said the School Committee has a meeting scheduled for Dec. 30 to authorize its chair to enter negotiations with the Springfield law firm of Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas to conduct that probe.
 
Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, the principal author of the motion of support, was one of several members who noted that the investigation process will take time, and she, like Kavey, acknowledged that the council has no power over the public schools beyond its approval of the annual district budget.
 
View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories