KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A Kannapolis man was found guilty of multiple offenses, including assaulting law enforcement, related to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
On Sept. 11, a federal jury found 35-year-old Brett Rotella, also known as Brett Ostrander, was found guilty of the following offenses:
- Obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder -- felony
- Two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers -- felony
- Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds -- misdemeanor
- Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds -- misdemeanor
- Impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings -- misdemeanor
He will be sentenced on Dec. 13.
He was arrested in August 2023 in Mooresville on those charges.
Court documents say Rotella pushed a police barricade at Metropolitan Police officers around 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 6 and later led people to chase retreating officers up the stairs of the Capitol. Rotella was wearing a red skull cap, a black sleeveless puffy vest over a red sleeveless shirt, and white or gray long shorts during the riot, according to court documents. He also carried a pole with at least two flags on it, court documents and evidence show.
Police retreated to a tunnel near the Capitol's entrance and locked two sets of doors to the building's entrance, according to court documents. Rioters then smashed the glass of the doors and opened them. Rotella was seen opening one of the doors, according to court documents. Rotella then entered the Capitol.
Rotella left the tunnel and was later seen in a group pushing against a police line outside of the Capitol, according to court documents. He was later seen taking a large ladder and handing it up in the crowd, documents show.
This case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division. The investigation is being handled by the FBI's Charlotte and Washington offices.
More than 1,500 people have been arrested across the country for charges relating to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.