A Telluride man pleaded guilty Friday to a felony charge for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia announced in a news release.
Avery MacCracken, 69, pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing law enforcement officers during a civil disorder after his and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of Congress convened to count the electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election.
FBI agents identified MacCracken as one of the Capitol insurrectionists after Coloradans saw his image online and reported him. He was arrested in December 2021.
A Telluride resident contacted San Miguel Sheriff Bill Masters after seeing a photo of MacCracken on the FBI website as well as on SeditionHunters.org, a website dedicated to helping the public identify Jan. 6 suspects.
Masters also identified the man in the photos as MacCracken, as did Telluride Marshal’s Office Chief Marshal Josh Comte. Masters and Comte told the FBI that they and their officers have had interactions with MacCracken. Comte also said the clothing MacCracken wore to the Capitol is the same outfit he is frequently seen wearing in the Telluride area.
According to the news release, MacCracken traveled to Washingto to protest the 2020 presidential election results certification and about 2 p.m. was part of a large group on the West Plaza of the Capitol.
“MacCracken made his way to the front of the crowd and, using both hands, gripped a bike rack that the police were using as a barrier,” the news release stated. “At approximately 2:28 p.m., rioters removed some bike racks and attempted to surge past the police line. MacCracken also moved toward the police line with both hands balled into fists. He then observed a police officer in front of him and pushed the officer’s arm away as the officer tried to prevent him from advancing.”
MacCracken then grabbed a second officer by the arm and by his jacket near the shoulder area, according to the news release, then pushed forward through the police line into the restricted areas of the Capitol grounds as other rioters were advancing.
In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.
MacCracken was the 12th Coloradan to face federal charges for the breach.
