A federal judge in the nation’s capital found a Colorado Springs man guilty of six criminal charges for his role in storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Tyler Ethridge, a 2017 graduate of the Practical Government School at Andrew Wommack’s Charis Bible College in Woodland Park, was found guilty on six charges in U.S. District Court in Washington for his role in storming the Capitol and refusing to leave when engaged by law enforcement.

Ethridge was found guilty of civil disorder and tampering with a witness victim or informant, both felonies, as well as four misdemeanor charges, including two counts of temporary residence of the president and two counts of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.  

Previous reporting from The Gazette details that Ethridge, 34, removed fencing on the Capitol’s northwest approach and encouraged the crowd to keep fighting after he climbed a median. 

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Prosecutors alleged Ethridge entered the Capitol at 2:35 p.m. on Jan. 6 and went to the Rotunda, where he filmed several videos that he posted on social media, according to court documents.

In one of the videos, Ethridge said “I don’t want to say that what we’re doing is right, but if the election is being stolen, what is it going to take?”

“I’m probably going to lose my job as pastor after this … I think we’re to a point where talk is cheap. If this makes me lose my reputation, I don’t care.”

At the time of the riots, Ethridge was a pastor at Christ-Center Church of Tampa in Dover, Fla. The congregation announced on Jan. 19 that he was no longer with the parish. 

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On Sept. 8, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras found Ethridge guilty on all charges in a bench trial, according to court records. 

Court records also show that Ethridge’s defense attorneys waived his right to a jury trial, and instead opted to accept Contreras’ guilty verdict and proceed to sentencing. 

Ethridge’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 18, 2024, in  U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

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