A Louisiana man who joined the chaos at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and later denied he was ever inside, is heading to prison for a few months. Charles Tyler Himber, a 30-year-old, pleaded guilty in July to felony obstruction of law enforcement. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan sentenced him to four months in prison, three years of probation, and ordered him to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Prosecutors noted that while Himber admitted to his actions, he still hasn’t shown any remorse for what he did that day. According to court documents, Himber was part of the crowd that stormed the Capitol in Washington, D.C., during the riot. Wearing body armor and an American flag scarf, he joined thousands of Donald Trump supporters protesting Congress certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
After attending the “Stop the Steal” rally, Himber made his way to the Capitol, crossing a restricted area while filming himself. On the east side of the building, he and others tried to push past police officers, shouting, “Let us in!” Minutes later, he and a group broke through the police line and entered the Capitol. Once inside, prosecutors said, Himber and others pinned officers against walls, creating what officials described as a dangerous situation for law enforcement.
Himber didn’t just quietly leave after being escorted out by police. Before exiting, he joined a group selfie inside the Capitol and threatened a journalist who was identified as working for a major media outlet, saying, “You’re not f—ing safe.”
Later, Himber bragged about his actions on social media. One of his posts read, “Storm in Capitol Hill is a go … drain the swamp manually … Evacuating Capitol Hill pushing back.” Another post, “We’re in,” grabbed the attention of the FBI, leading to an investigation.
When interviewed by FBI agents in May 2021, Himber claimed he didn’t enter the Capitol and suggested his posts were just about hearing that others had gone inside. He repeated his denial during a second interview in August 2023. However, when agents showed him a picture of himself inside the Capitol, he backtracked, admitting he had entered but insisted he was pushed in and quickly escorted out.
Prosecutors also pointed out that Himber has a history of legal troubles, including prior arrests for disturbing the peace. Given his actions and past behavior, they had asked the judge to sentence him to 11 months in jail, though the final sentence was shorter.
The events of January 6 remain a significant chapter in U.S. history, and cases like Himber’s continue to show the personal consequences for those involved.
