A former State College resident was sentenced to prison on Tuesday for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Brian Gundersen, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras to 18 months in federal prison, 36 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Gundersen was found guilty in November of obstructing the congressional vote to certify Joe Biden’s presidential election win and assaulting a law enforcement officer.
Prosecutors requested a sentence of 46 months.
Gundersen, who lived in State College at the time with his mother, drove to Washington D.C. to attend former President Donald Trump’s rally before going to the Capitol. A day earlier, Gundersen posted on Facebook asking if anyone was going to Washington D.C. on Jan. 6 and wrote “we might be able to bum rush the white house and take it over,” according to a statement of facts agreed to by federal prosecutors and the defense prior to trial.
Gundersen illegally entered Capitol grounds and joined a mob of rioters climbing up the northwest steps, according to the statement of facts. At 2:30 p.m., he climbed up to a window next to the Senate wing door and he shouted at officers inside the Capitol Building. Twelve minutes later he joined the mob entering the building and was one of the first rioters to enter the Capitol through the parliamentarian door, waving others through as rioters engaged in confrontations with police officers.
He then watched other ransack the parliamentarian’s office for about eight minutes and left a mocking note that read “sowwy for damage,” with a crying emoticon.
Gundersen was forced out of the building twice but remained on the grounds, moving to the northwest terrace where he joined a mob confronting officers who were trying to clear the area. Gundersen rushed at Metropolitan police officer and hit the officer with his arm before being pushed back by another officer using a riot shield.
“Although [the officer] did report any physical injuries from Gundersen’s assault, the defendant’s participation in this riot aided those rioters who did succeed in injuring officers and destroying property,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “His violent conduct served to incite and embolden other violent rioters around him.”
After being pushed away, Gundersen beat his chest with his fists and then retreated into the crowd. He remained at the lower level of the northwest terrace until a line of police advanced and forced the rioters out of the area.
Prosecutors said Gundersen showed no remorse after the riot. In the days after Jan. 6, Gundersen made several social media posts about the events at the Capitol. He posted a picture of members of Congress taking cover during the insurrection and wrote “Look at these scared little bitches,” called the rioters “patriots” who were “mad enough to attack the government,” and wrote “we can check bum rush the capitol building off the list of potential ways to take over the government.”
On Jan. 8, he posted “We all stormed the us capital [sic] and tried to take over the government. We failed but fuck it.” Later in the day he wrote “Just was at our capital (sic) building in a massive event that rocked the world.”
Gundersen was identified when multiple people in the community of Armonk, New York, where he previously lived, recognized him after spotting a Byram Hills High School varsity jacket in videos of the riot.
Gundersen is the second person with Centre County ties to be convicted for the Jan. 6 attack and one of three arrested. Julian E. Khater, the former owner of Frutta Bowls in State College, pleaded guilty in September to two felony counts of assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced in January to nearly seven years in federal prison, which at the time was the longest sentence handed down for anyone charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol.
Earlier this month, Terry L. Allen, of Spring Mills, was arrested on federal felony charges for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers with a wooden flagpole during the riot.
More than 1,000 people have been arrested for crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot.
