On June 23, Jason Douglas Owens, 50, and his son Grady Douglas Owens, 22, of Blanco, Texas, were each sentenced to prison for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol. The incident occurred on January 6, 2021, during a joint session of Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.
Jason and Grady Owens' Sentences
Grady Owens was sentenced to 37 months in prison, two years of supervised release, restitution of $2000, $110 in special assessments and a $1,000 fine. His father, Jason Owens, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of $2000, a $100 special assessment and a $2,000 fine. Grady also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, with a sentence of 6 months to be served concurrently with his 37-month sentence.
According to court documents, the Owens family illegally entered the west lawn area of the Capitol grounds at approximately 2:00PM. Grady Owens raised a skateboard in the air and struck an officer, while Jason Owens shoved an officer hard enough for the officer’s head to snap back. Continued skirmishes resulted in additional assaults. Grady Owens also made a number of videos of his time on Capitol grounds, making statements such as, “We will not concede,” and “You can’t stop us.”
A crowd of rioters then gathered outside the east rotunda doors, with Jason Owens becoming involved in a skirmish with another officer near the doors by grabbing his baton and fighting over it. Jason Owens was subsequently arrested on April 16, 2021 in Austin, Texas, and Grady Owens was arrested on April 1, 2021 in Winter Park, Florida.
Nationwide Investigation of U.S. Capitol Breach Ongoing
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington, San Antonio, and Tampa Field Offices, alongside the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
It has now been 29 months since January 6, 2021, and more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Of those arrested, nearly 350 individuals are charged for assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation continues and anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
