Lawrence County man surrenders to face Jan. 6 riot charges
An Ellwood City man, whose wife is serving a year of probation for entering the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, has turned himself in to the FBI.
A warrant had been issued for his arrest to face charges, as authorities allege he entered the building with her.
Brian Douglas Sizer, 47, surrendered Thursday to face charges of entering a restricted building without authority, disorderly conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and other offenses on Capitol grounds.
Charges were filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, but his initial appearance on the charges was held in District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh.
His wife, Julia Sizer, 39, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing the Capitol building, and was sentenced to serve a year of probation and pay a $2,000 fine and $500 in restitution.
According to charging documents, the Sizers traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally. On Jan. 6, Sizer, her husband and her parents, who traveled separately, listened to speeches, including that of former President Donald Trump.
Closed circuit TV footage showed Julia Sizer entering the building at 2:48 p.m. and leaving two minutes later after getting stuck in a crowd, according to court documents. She re-entered a few minutes later with Brian Sizer, and both left about 10 minutes later, after a chemical irritant was discharged in the building, according to court documents.
A joint session of Congress convened on Jan. 6 to certify the vote count of the Electoral College for the 2020 Presidential Election. The session began at about 1 p.m., but was adjourned at 1:30 p.m. to resolve an objection. At the same time, a large crowd gathered outside. U.S. Capitol Police attempted to keep the crowd away from the building and the proceedings underway inside.
Around 2 p.m., people in the crowd forced entry into the Capitol, including by breaking windows and by assaulting police officers. House of Representatives members and then-Vice President Mike Pence evacuated the chambers. The joint session was suspended until about 8 p.m. as a result of the riot, and election results were certified.
