Western Pennsylvanians connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. capitol await Trump’s decision
Sixteen people from Western Pennsylvania were among the hundreds charged in connection with the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Most have already been sentenced, many of them having already served their weeks or months in jail.
Others, though, received harsher sentences based on their level of involvement and the level of violence they wrought.
The Western Pennsylvania defendants were among more than 1,200 people charged in the insurrection. Almost 900 people were convicted or pled guilty and have been sentenced collectively to more than 840 years in prison.
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to be sworn in for his second term on Jan. 20, some defendants have said they are hoping Trump pardons them. A pardon is forgiveness for a convicted crime, and a president can only grant pardons for federal offenses. Once a pardon is issued, all further punishment for the crime is waived.
U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Centre, when asked if he supported the potential pardons, tied the question to President Joe Biden’s surge of unprecedented clemency as 2024 wound down.
“As we recently witnessed President Biden issue the largest single-day clemency in history, we are reminded the pardon process is an enumerated power included in our constitution, and reserved at the discretion of the executive,” Mr. Thompson told the Post-Gazette.
Defendants from our region are:
Rachel Powell
Age: 44
Residence: Grove City, Mercer County
Background: Nicknamed the “Pink Hat Lady,” the mother of eight climbed through a broken window into the Capitol, emerging a short time later to call for rioters to “coordinate together” to “take this building.” She relayed detailed instructions about the layout of the room she’d seen.
Conviction/sentence: Powell was convicted on nine felony charges including obstruction of an official proceeding, destruction of government property, entering a restricted area with a weapon, and engaging in violence on Capitol grounds. She was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison in January 2024.
Robert Morss
Age: 31
Residence: McCandless, Allegheny County
Background: Former middle school substitute teacher and Army Ranger. He was wearing a vest designed to hold body armor, carrying a knife sheath and scissors and yelled to fellow rioters, “Take a look around. We are going to take our Capitol back.”
Conviction/sentence: Morss was convicted of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon, obstruction of an official proceeding and robbery. He was sentenced to 5½ years in prison followed by two more years of supervised release.
Jorden Mink
Age: 31
Residence: Oakdale, Allegheny County
Background: Authorities said he used a baseball bat to shatter a Capitol window and climb inside. He then handed various pieces of furniture and other property to the mob outside. Video footage also showed him spitting on police and throwing things at them.
Conviction/sentence: Mink was convicted of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon; theft of government property; and aiding and abetting. He was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison.
Jennifer Heinl
Age: 47
Residence: Ross, Allegheny County
Background: Was married to a Shaler police officer who served on an FBI task force at the time of the riots. She claimed she only went into the Capitol to seek shelter because she was afraid of the chaos and violence in the crowd, but was seen on video high-fiving someone and smiling as she walked into the building.
Conviction/sentence: Heinl pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. She was sentenced to two weeks in jail, two years of probation and 50 hours of community service.
Jeremy Vorous
Age: 47
Residence: Venango, Crawford County
Background: He’s accused of posting updates to social media during the melee, including one that said, “Bout to rush in again diff door.” Video footage allegedly shows the Venango man shouting at police officers and calling them cowards.
Conviction/sentence: His case is pending.
Kenneth Grayson
Age: 55
Residence: Bridgeville, Allegheny County
Background: Prosecutors said he live-streamed a confrontation between police and rioters in the Capitol’s Crypt and Rotunda. He’d previously bragged to a friend that he would “storm the Capitol” if former President Trump told him to.
Conviction/sentence: Sentenced in December 2022 to two months in prison.
Mitchell Vukich and Nicholas Perretta
Ages: 29 and 30, respectively
Residence: Beaver County
Background: The two had texted each other about the Capitol attack in the aftermath, with Perretta telling his friend that he should have told the FBI to “[expletive] off” when he was questioned. “No jail for us,” Perretta texted Vukich after he was questioned. “Exactly,” Vukich replied. “I just can’t see us getting in trouble.”
Conviction/sentence: Each sentenced in January 2022 to one month in federal prison.
Samuel Fox
Age: 35
Residence: Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County
Background: Owner of a moving company, Fox told authorities he joined the mob because he knew it would be “big news” and wanted to take pictures for his kids. He was given a minimal sentence, despite bragging on Facebook, “I’d do it again, fight me.”
Conviction/sentence: Sentenced to two months of house arrest
Julie and Brian Sizer
Ages: 42 and 50, respectively
Residence: Ellwood City, Lawrence County
Background: Julie Sizer initially told FBI agents she wasn’t at the Capitol but later apologized for lying. Authorities said security footage showed the couple going inside through the Parliamentarian Door, where they took a selfie together.
Conviction/sentence: Julie Sizer was sentenced to one year of probation on Feb. 1, 2022. Brian Sizer was sentenced to one year of probation on April 5, 2023.
Philip Vogel and Debra Maimone
Ages: 37 and 31, respectively
Residence: New Castle, Lawrence County
Background: Vogel and Maimone run a McKees Rock-based business, Vera General Contracting and Cleaning Services. The FBI identified the duo after finding a video posted to Maimone’s Parler social media account showing them inside the Capitol. The videographer, later identified as Vogel, showed the inside of the building while Maimone pulled down her American flag mask, according to court papers. Vogel “admonished Maimone” and told her to “put your mask on. I don’t want them to see you.”
Conviction/sentence: Maimone was sentenced to two years’ probation on Aug. 25, 2023. Vogel was sentenced to two years of supervised release.
Dale Shalvey and his wife, Tara Stottlemyer
Ages: 40 and 39, respectively
Residence: Formerly of Washington County, now in North Carolina
Background: Owners of Shalvey Woodworks in Bentleyville, which offers custom milling and art pieces for businesses. Prosecutors said Shalvey entered the Capitol and removed a letter from U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney addressed to former Vice President Mike Pence and threw an object at a police officer.
Conviction/sentence: Shalvey was sentenced to 41 months; Stottlemyer to eight months.