Savannah man found guilty of federal crimes for involvement in Jan. 6 Capitol siege

Caption

In this photo provided by the FBI, the man in the yellow circle is identified by an agent as Dominic Box on the east stairs of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Credit: FBI

A Savannah man has been found guilty on six federal charges for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

In a ruling issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly convicted Dominic Box, 34, on two felony counts of civil disorder and four misdemeanors.

The verdict came nearly two years after federal prosecutors initially filed charges against Box, who was among the hundreds of supporters of then-President Donald Trump who violently stormed the Capitol in an effort to block certification of Joe Biden's victory.

He had waived his right to a jury trial and declined a plea deal offered by prosecutors, opting instead for a June bench trial overseen by Kollar-Kotelly in which Box admitted his involvement while retaining his appeal rights.

A ruling in his case was delayed in part by a U.S. Supreme Court decision issued shortly after his trial in which justices ruled that obstruction of an official proceeding — the most serious charge Box faced — does not apply to Jan. 6 defendants.

Federal prosecutors eventually dismissed the obstruction charge against Box.

Box argued that dismissal of the obstruction charge necessitates dismissal of all remaining charges, but Kollar-Kotelly ruled against him, writing that his arguments “lack merit.”

Sentencing has not been scheduled. Box could face several years in prison, as each of his two felony convictions carries up to five years of imprisonment, and each misdemeanor carries up to one year.

However, sentencing guidelines could see Box serve less time than the maximum penalty. He could also be sentenced to time served in a Washington, D.C., jail — where he has been incarcerated for more than one year — and be sent home.

Box has been outspoken during his incarceration, having posted audio recordings and written updates to an online fundraising website popular with Jan. 6 defendants and white supremacists.

In an audio recording shared Monday, Box expressed his support for Trump's 2024 campaign, saying, “We're going to take our country back.” 

In an update published in August, Box falsely maintained that the 2020 election was “stolen,” and wrote about why he participated in Jan. 6: “To this day, I remain fully confident and proud of my decision to attend the events of that day..."

Trump has repeatedly said that he would pardon Jan. 6 rioters if he returns to the White House.