WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Delphos man charged in federal district court with assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2020 breach of the U.S. Capitol will be sentenced Aug. 19 after accepting a plea deal from federal prosecutors.
Matthew Honigford, 31, agreed to plead guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding police officers in exchange for the dismissal of more serious allegations. He was charged in federal court in November of last year with an assortment of counts related to the Jan. 6 uprising.
Honigford will be sentenced Aug. 19 in the courtroom of Judge Tanya Chutkan. He faces a maximum prison sentence of eight years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Federal sentencing guidelines for the offense with which Honigford is charged, however, call for a prison term of 18 to 24 months, according to the 12-page negotiated plea document. The parties agreed that if a fine is imposed by the court it would be between $7,500 and $75,000.
‘Disorderly and disruptive conduct’
Honigford was charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in a complaint that alleged he did “willfully and knowingly utter loud, threatening or abusive language, or engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct,” on the grounds or in any of the Capitol buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt or disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress or either House of Congress or the orderly conduct in that building of a hearing before … committee of Congress or either House of Congress.”
He also allegedly unlawfully entered or remained in restricted government building or grounds “with the intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of government business or official functions,” and engaged in “disorderly or disruptive conduct,” according to prosecutors.
The actions of Honigford and others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
