A Syracuse man and member of the local Proud Boys chapter pleaded guilty Wednesday to crimes related to the U.S. Capitol riot in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, according the U.S. District Attorney’s Office in Washington.
Matthew Greene, 34, of Syracuse, admitted to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding. He was arrested in April.
According to court documents, Greene joined the Central New York Proud Boys chapter in December 2020. In advance of Jan. 6, he and other members planned to come to Washington. On that day, they met up at the Washington Monument, intentionally dressed in clothing that concealed their membership as Proud Boys.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Greene and other Proud Boys members then marched from the Washington Monument to the Capitol, where Greene witnessed the tearing down of barricades and advanced with others into the restricted area. Greene was among the first people to cross a downed police line and witnessed rioters assault the police and overrun them.
His April indictment also said that Greene later sent a message through an encrypted messaging app to an associate who asked about his well-being and he replied “I’m good, we took the capital.”
“With his plea, Mr. Greene admits he forcefuly entered the Capitol to obstruct, influence and impede Congress’s certification of the Electoral College vote – an act set forth in the 12th Amendment of the Constitution,” the Albany FBI said in a statement. “FBI Albany’s case agents from the Syracuse Resident Agency worked tirelessly to ensure Mr. Greene was held accountable for his deliberate and violent acts and we will continue to work with our partners from the Washington Field Office and United States Attorney’s Office to hold those who broke the law that day accountable.”
Greene remains detained pending sentencing, which was set for March 10, 2022. He faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge.
