The family of a Capitol rioter who killed himself over the weekend says he died ‘of a broken heart’ as he faced drawn out legal proceedings stemming from his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack.
Matthew Lawrence Perna of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania died on February 25, according to an obituary published on WKBN.
‘His community, which he loved, his country and the justice system killed his spirit and his zest for life. Matt was an amazing man!’ his family wrote.
The 37-year-old was charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly conduct in a capitol building.
He was arrested on January 21, just days after the riot, according to the Department of Justice. He was indicted a month later and pled guilty to all charges on December 17.
He faced up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He was scheduled to be sentenced on April 1 in US District Court in Washington, DC.
Perna is one of 786 people who have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot, according to Insider. Most of those in the crowd were supporters of President Donald Trump who disagreed with the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and breached the Capitol as lawmakers were certifying the election in favor of President Joe Biden.
Matthew Lawrence Perna of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania killed himself on February 25
Prosecutors say he spent 20 minutes inside the Capitol on January 6, 2021, filming the event on his phone and chanting ‘USA’ while wearing a MAGA hoodie
The 37-year-old pled guilty to five charges related to the riot in December. He faced a maximum of 20 years in prison, though the toughest sentence given to someone in the riot has been just five years so far
Perna entered the Capitol on January 6, 2021 at about 2.47pm, according to prosecutors. He was allegedly inside for about 20 minutes.
In an eight-minute video posted to his Facebook account the night of the riot, he said, ‘Steve and I we walked right into the Capitol building.’
Also in the video, he warned: ‘It’s not over, trust me.’
A witness who knew Perna for years contacted the FBI and told agents that they recognized him. Perna was depicted as ’73’ on an FBI bulletin.
When he met with agents, he claimed he was ‘pushed into the building by a crowd that had gathered behind him,’ according to a DOJ statement of facts, and that it was not his ‘intention to enter the Capitol.’
He also said he was only inside for about five to 10 minutes.
‘In a later interview, Perna admitted that at one point he become frustrated, and, using a metal pole, tapped on a window of the Capitol building.’
‘Perna admitted that at one point he become frustrated, and, using a metal pole, tapped on a window of the Capitol building,’ prosecutors wrote. Someone he knew tipped the FBI about his identity
The witness who identified Perna said he regularly posted on social media about his support of Donald Trump and the QAnon conspiracy theory, which holds that a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles runs Hollywood and the government’s ‘deep state.’
The witness also said they saw a Facebook post indicating that Perna had bought a handgun.
Based on video and photos from the riot, Perna wore a red hoodie with white lettering that read ‘Make America Great Again,’ President Trump’s campaign slogan.
He was seen filming on his phone and chanting ‘USA,’ according to prosecutors.
He faced a maximum of 20 years in prison, but the highest Capitol riot sentence so far has gone to Robert Palmer of Florida, who was sentenced to more than five years in prison in December for fighting with officers and throwing a fire extinguisher at them.
Perna’s family says he only went to the rally to ‘peacefully stand up for his beliefs.
‘After learning that the FBI was looking for him, he immediately turned himself in.
More than 730 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot on January 6, 2021. Over 210 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors with a maximum sentence of 6 months imprisonment
Restitution has been the most common punishment for those sentenced for the riot; 98 people have been ordered to pay between $500 to $2,000; 28 people were ordered to pay fines of up to $5,000. Donald Trump supporters are pictured storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021
‘He entered the Capitol through a previously opened door (he did not break in as was reported), where he was ushered in by police. He didn’t break, touch or steal anything. He did not harm anyone, as he stayed within the velvet ropes taking pictures.
‘For this act he has been persecuted by many members of his community, friends, relatives and people who had never met him. Many people were quietly supportive and Matt was truly grateful for them. The constant delays in hearings and postponements dragged out for over a year.
‘Because of this, Matt’s heart broke and his spirit died and many people are responsible for the pain he endured. Matt did not have a hateful bone in his body. He embraced people of all races, income brackets and beliefs, never once berating anyone for having different views,’ Perna’s obituary states.
His family said he attended Sharpsville High School and graduated from Penn State University.
He taught English and Thailand and South Korea and ‘traveled extensively’ in Europe, Asia, South America, India and the US.’
His family also said he was a deeply religious man who once went on a mission trip to Haiti.
‘He was a Christian who read his Bible daily,’ they said.
‘Matt’s family stood by him during this devastating ordeal and are extremely proud of his passion for life and his pursuit of many dreams. His actions last year are not looked down upon, instead his family is grateful and humbled by his courage. They say God never gives anyone more than they can handle. That statement is not Biblical, nor is it true. Rest Easy Matt, you are finally FREE!’
The events at the Capitol riot led to the deaths of five people, including protestor Ashli Babbitt.
The Capitol Police union says that about 140 officers were injured during the event, according to the Washington Post.
Former Attorney General Bill Barr unleashed on his former boss in his forthcoming memoir, claiming Donald Trump ‘lost his grip’ when he began pushing his baseless 2020 election fraud theories.
Barr said those theories directly ‘led to the rioting on Capitol Hill’ on January 6 last year in an excerpt from his 600-page new book that was shared with the Wall Street Journal.
Former Attorney General Bill Barr unleashes on his old boss Donald Trump in his forthcoming memoir, after becoming one of his most scathing critics following the 2020 election
Trump said Barr was a ‘disappointment in every sense of the word’ last year and according to the book, yelled at the ex-attorney general over his statement that there was no widespread election fraud
‘The election was not “stolen.” Trump lost it,’ the former attorney general states plainly in ‘One Damn Thing After Another.’
The lengthy memoir recounts his time as the Republican president’s attorney general.
Trump and Barr’s relationship soured after Barr, the nation’s top law enforcement official at the time, told the Associated Press on December 1, 2020 that his Justice Department found no evidence of widespread election fraud.
Barr left his post at the end of that month, just weeks before Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to overturn the 2020 results.
Trump called Barr a ‘disappointment in every sense of the word’ in June of last year.
In the new excerpt Barr writes that Trump could have won the election fairly had he ‘just exercised a modicum of self-restraint, moderating even a little of his pettiness.’
He also detailed an explosive confrontation with Trump that led to his resignation shortly after that Associated Press interview.
‘This is killing me — killing me. This is pulling the rug right out from under me,’ Barr claims Trump shouted, just hours after he further legitimized Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
THE FIVE PEOPLE WHO DIED AT MAGA MOB RIOT ON CAPITOL
Capitol Cop Brian Sidnick, 42 – ‘MURDERED’ by the mob
Sidnick was allegedly hit over the head with a fire extinguisher during the chaos. It’s unclear where exactly he was when he was injured; many of his colleagues were outnumbered on the day.
He retreated to his division office afterwards which is where he collapsed. He was taken to the hospital, put on life support but died on Thursday night.
Federal prosecutors have now launched a murder investigation into his death. Like the people he was fighting, he supported Trump.
Roseanne Boyland, 34 – Trampled in the Rotunda
Roseanne Boyland, 34, from Georgia was ‘trampled in the Rotunda’, her family told DailyMail.com on Thursday after police she had been potentially ‘crushed’ in the mob.
Her family said she had planned to ‘hang back’ but was emboldened by Trump’s speech earlier on Wednesday.
They say they blame Trump for her death.
Ashli Babbitt, 35 – Shot dead by cops climbing into the Capitol building
Ashli Babbitt, 35, was a 14-year air force veteran who was fatally shot in the chest by Capitol Police as she breached the building.
A witness to the shooting suggested the San Diego local was shot by police when she tried to climb through a broken window to get into congressional chambers.
She was pictured lying on the ground afterwards with blood streaming from her nose. She was the only person shot.
Kevin Greeson, 55 – Had a heart attack ‘in the midst of excitement’
His family said in a statement: ‘Kevin had a history of high blood pressure, and in the midst of the excitement, suffered a heart attack. Our family is devastated.’
Social media photographs show Greeson posing proudly with two AR-15 rifles. He regularly posted on the website Parler where he encouraged violence against Democrats.
Among recent comments was: ‘Let’s take this f*****g country BACK! Load your guns and take to the s streets. I’m bringing my guns.’
Ben Phillips, 50 – Had a stroke after leading caravan of Trump fans from PA to DC
According to The Inquirer, Phillips described the day as ‘the first day of the rest of our lives’.
‘They should name this year Zero because something will happen,’ his friends claim he said before the riot got underway.
Phillips founded the website Trumparoo, where Trump supporters can speak to each other, and organized transport for dozens of people to get to DC from Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
It’s unclear at what point in the day he suffered his stroke, or if he was married or had children.
