Florida man pleads guilty to role in 2021 US Capitol riot

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Florida man has pleaded guilty to three felony charges related to the storming of the U.S. Capitol during the January 2021 insurrection. Court records show 34-year-old Mitchell Todd Gardner II pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court in the District of Columbia to civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon. Gardner was arrested in Tampa in June 2021. According to the criminal complaint, Gardner was part of the mob involved and used a pepper spray device against officers within a tunnel area at the Capitol. He faces up to 45 years in prison at sentencing set for October.