Jordan Berk admitted to trespassing in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Photos from court documents)
A member of a Telegram chat group, “PATRIOTS45 MAGA Gang,” has admitted to trespassing at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Jordan Berk pleaded guilty to a count of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, according to court documents. Charges of disorderly conduct and parading in a Capitol building were dropped as part of the plea deal. He faces up to a year imprisonment and a fine of $100,000. He is set to be sentenced on Nov. 15, according to the court docket.
Berk belonged to a Telegram group called “PATRIOTS45 MAGA Gang,” which consisted of Donald Trump supporters who discussed what they said were fraudulent election results, according to a statement of facts.
Berk sent messages saying the 2020 presidential election was stolen and his expectation that patriots would “storm the gates” following the election results, authorities said.
“So are we getting this election stolen from us or what?” he said in one message on Nov. 4, 2020, the day after the 2020 presidential election.
In another message that day, he said, “I envision 20 million patriots driving to D.C. to storm the gates if they call it for Joe.”
On Nov. 5, 2020, Berk said in the group, “[E]lection reform is needed to say the least,” adding, “Don’t forget that Trump is pro[p]hesized to be the LAST American president no matter what happens.”
On Nov. 9, 2020, Berk shared a post — “Trump plans to hold rallies to lead his followers in a ‘war’ to stop Biden from taking office.”
When someone wrote, “Civil war is coming folks,” on Nov. 16, 2020, Berk responded, “Nah it’s here.”
He was removed from the Telegram group after he got into a series of disagreements in December 2020 with someone who ran the group, court documents said. In those typo-laden exchanges, Berk referred to “soon-to-be-ex-President Trump” and said, “Protests dont get people elected.”
When the other person responded, “Youre an America, reject the label if you want, but you are part of this movement.” Berk replied, “Sure but I’m part of the movement with a healthy skepticism.”
Berk gave the FBI consent in February 2021 to examine two cellphones he used around the time of Jan. 6, which showed calendar entries the day before and the day of the riots for locations in Washington, D.C., court documents said. Authorities said he was among the throngs of Trump supporters who poured into the area for the “Stop the Steal” rally that day to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral win.
In jeans, a jacket and a hat with white lettering reading “KEEP AMERICA GREAT!” Berk entered the Capitol building at 3:07 p.m. through the Senate Wing Door, went into the Crypt, into an office and filmed it on his cellphone. He was also captured on “open source video” before leaving the building at 3:16 p.m.
He was arrested in March in San Diego, California.
Berk is not the first suspected member of the group to be arrested for alleged actions on Jan. 6.
As Law&Crime previously reported, “PATRIOTS45 MAGA Gang” member Kayla Reifschneider was so fired up in support of Trump on Jan. 6 that federal prosecutors say the Los Angeles woman smashed media cameras, spit at reporters as she told them to “Get Covid!” and yelled obscenities as she stormed the Capitol.
According to an arrest warrant, authorities arrested Reifschneider and charged her with obstruction of justice/Congress, knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or building. Her case is still pending.
In the 41 months since the riots, more than 1,457 people have been charged with crimes related to the insurrection, authorities said.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
