DJ Who Smoked Weed in Capitol During Riot Pleads Guilty to Felony Charges, Including Assaulting Law Enforcement

The New York DJ who smoked weed in the Capitol's Rotunda pleaded guilty to all 10 charges filed against him and turned down a plea deal from the government.

February 11, 2022

Photograph of a DJ smoking weed in Capitol — Image via FBI
Publicist

A New York DJ who was arrested last February for participating in the riot at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6 has pleaded guilty to 10 charges. He also famously smoked weed in the Rotunda, and recorded himself on Snapchat, where he proclaimed, “Smoke out the Capitol, baby.”

WUSA 9 reports that Greg Rubenacker pleaded guilty to three felony charges and seven misdemeanor chargpes. In all, he could face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

Rubenacker’s lawyer, Michelangelo Matera told the judge that they turned down a plea offer from the government and decided not to plead guilty to two felonies—obstruction of an official proceeding of congress and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers—in exchange for the remainder of his charges being dropped.

Matera said that the plea offer meant that Rubenacker would have to comply with the government’s recommended guidelines for sentencing, which amounted to the same as Rubenacker pleading guilty to the 10 counts. If he had agreed to the plea deal then he also wouldn’t have the ability to appeal.

The government has recommended a sentence ranging from 41 to 51 months prison time and a fine of $15K to $150K. Rubenacker proposed a shorter sentence of 15 to 21 months and a smaller fine.

On Friday during his plea agreement hearing, Rubenacker confessed to going into the Capitol even though he wasn’t permitted to. He also confessed to throwing a water bottle at a cop and spraying water on officers as they were trying to control the rioters.