New Jersey Man Sentenced For Assaulting Officers And Other Charges

Defendant Confronted Officers Outside Capitol Building

            WASHINGTON – A New Jersey man was sentenced today for assaulting law enforcement officers and other charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Philip S. Young, 61, of Sewell, New Jersey, was sentenced to 8 months in prison. Young pleaded guilty November 2, 2022 in the District of Columbia to assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, and interfering with officers during a civil disorder, both felony offenses, plus five related misdemeanor charges. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered $2,000 restitution, and 36 months of supervised release.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, at approximately 2:46 p.m., Young was illegally on the Capitol grounds, standing on stairs leading to the Upper West Terrace. Someone in the crowd shouted, “1, 2, 3, go!” Young hurriedly went up the stairs. He was one of several people that lifted and pushed a metal bicycle rack barricade into a line of law enforcement officers. Later, at approximately 3:54 p.m., he had made his way to the east courtyard of the Capitol, where he was seen letting the air out of the tires of a black U.S. government vehicle.

            Young was arrested on Aug. 19, 2021, in Sewell, New Jersey.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office and its South Jersey Resident Agency, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Young as #276 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 24 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 950 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 284 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.