A New Jersey man accused of pepper spraying police officers during the attack on the US Capitol, including a man who died the following day, has pleaded guilty to assault charges.
Julian Khater and his friend George Tanios carried pepper and bear spray as they breached the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021, the Justice Department said
Khater sprayed three officers directly in the face with the pepper spray, the department alleged.
The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to the two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon during a hearing in US District Court.
Khater, who will be sentenced in December, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $US250,000, ($368,000) according to his plea agreement.
Tanios was originally charged with criminal counts including felony assault.
He pleaded guilty in July to lesser misdemeanour charges and could face up to six months in prison.
Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, who Khater is accused of spraying, died of natural causes following multiple strokes the day after the attack.
Khater and Tanios were not charged in connection with Mr Sicknick's death.
The two men were among thousands of supporters of former president Donald Trump who stormed the Capitol in a failed bid to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.
More than 860 people were arrested for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol, according to the Justice Department, including over 260 who were charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
A number of rioters have been sentenced including former police sergeant Thomas Robertson who was convicted of six criminal charges and sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.
Guy Reffitt, an associate of the far-right Three Percenters militia, also received a sentence of seven years and three months.
Aspiring Proud Boys member Joshua Pruitt was handed four years and seven months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Mark Ponder, who attacked police officers with poles during the riot, has been imprisoned for five years and three months for assault.
Reuters/ABC
