Mt. Airy man sentenced for Jan. 6 assault

Gets 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting law officer

Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Trump supporters gathered in the nation’s capital to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over Trump in the 2020 election. Samuel Corum/Getty

A Mount Airy man was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison by a U.S. District Court judge after pleading guilty to assaulting a law enforcement officer during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Nicholas Ortt, a 43-year-old bar manager, traveled to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, to attend former President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally to protest the results of the 2020 election, according to the sentencing memorandum.

Following the rally, Ortt walked with a crowd to the Capitol, where he saw police barricades and made his way to the West Plaza of the Capitol, the sentencing memorandum says.

Rioters had already breached barricades on the perimeter of the northwest Capitol grounds near the Peace Circle, according to the sentencing memorandum.

Ortt joined the western front of the Capitol attack, and to move through the police line, he assaulted law enforcement, at one point grabbing an officer’s baton as he pushed through police shields and past officers struggling to keep the line intact, according to the sentencing memorandum.

After going through the line, Ortt broke past another group of officers, causing thousands of rioters to flood “deeper onto Capitol ground,” the sentencing memorandum says.

Law enforcement obtained search warrants for Ortt’s Facebook account and found messages regarding his actions at the Capitol.

About 4:07 p.m. that day, Ortt posted on his Facebook account an image depicting him at the Capitol with another rioter who was brandishing a stolen Capitol Police riot shield, according to the sentencing memorandum.

Ortt later wrote that day on social media, “Never was prouder to be part of it,” and, “Trust me I was there at the front lines,” according to the sentencing memorandum.

Along with the 30 months in prison, he will have three years of probation and was ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. Ortt’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

This attack injured more than 100 police officers and caused $2.9 million in losses.

“I realize the error of my ways,” Ortt said, according to court documents.