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Bridgeville man charged in Capitol assault negotiating plea deal

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A photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Kenneth Grayson of Bridgeville holding a Gadsden “Don’t Tread On Me” flag before he entered the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack on Congress.

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This screenshot provided by the FBI shows Kenneth Grayson of Bridgeville inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.

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Courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice

Kenneth Grayson

The Bridgeville man accused of leading a group of local people to Washington, D.C., and then live-streaming a video of himself inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 assault on Congress is negotiating a plea deal with federal prosecutors that could be finalized next month.

The attorney for Kenneth Grayson said during a status hearing in federal court Monday afternoon that he and his client are reviewing a plea offer and may be able to come to an agreement by Feb. 23, when the next hearing is scheduled.

“This is a case where Mr. Grayson is probably going to resolve (the charges) short of trial,” federal public defender Davis Bos said. “I still need to review (the plea deal) a little more carefully.”

Terms of the plea deal were not made public during the brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, D.C., which was held through video conferencing. Bos said he still needs to review portions of the offer from federal prosecutors and resolve “some issues” with the deal.

Grayson, 52, was arrested Jan. 26 after an acquaintance notified federal investigators that they saw a Facebook video he posted of himself carrying a Gadsden “Don’t Tread On Me” flag inside the basement Crypt area of the Capitol. Federal prosecutors said he acted like a “ring leader” bringing a group of people to the nation’s capital for a rally in support of former president Donald Trump before they marched to Congress and allegedly participated in the riot.

Court documents also accused him of traveling to Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16, 2020, and participating in violent protests against the presidential election results in which he allegedly texted an acquaintance that he beat people with a flag pole and left one person unconscious. However, he is not currently facing charges in connection with that incident.

Grayson was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct which impedes the conduct of government business; disruptive conduct in the Capitol buildings; parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol buildings; and obstructing or impeding any official proceeding. He has been free on $25,000 unsecured bond since his arrest last January.

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