A married couple from Ocala was sentenced to prison this week on felony and misdemeanor charges for their actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Jamie Buteau, 50, was sentenced on Monday to 22 months in prison for the felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. In addition, his spouse, 47-year-old Jennifer Peck Buteau, received a 90-day prison sentence for the misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
The couple had pleaded guilty to the charges on July 24, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Jamie to serve 24 months of supervised release and pay $2,000 in restitution.
According to the government’s evidence, the Buteaus traveled from their Ocala residence to Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, to protest the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election.
At around 2:25 p.m. on January 6, 2021, they entered the U.S. Capitol building through the Senate wing door after it had been breached, and an adjacent window was broken by a crowd of rioters.
Once inside the Capitol, the couple moved with a large crowd of rioters to a lobby that separated the Crypt from the Capitol Visitors Center.
Approximately five minutes after entering the Capitol, the Buteaus were at the front of a mob that rushed to prevent police officers from pulling down a set of rolling doors that would have helped to secure sections of the U.S. Capitol building.
While Jennifer and other rioters hurried to prop up the rolling doors with chairs and trashcans, Jamie picked up a folding chair and threw it in the direction of the police officers. The chair proceeded to ricochet off the wall, striking one of the officers in the arm.
The Buteaus then walked through the Capitol building, including the Visitors Center, orientation lobby, and Crypt, before exiting through the House wing doors at around 2:45 p.m. They remained on restricted Capitol grounds for 20 to 30 minutes.
At approximately 2:57 p.m., after police officers deployed chemical irritants to disburse the rioters, Jennifer spat twice at officers while Jamie watched and video-recorded the encounter on his smartphone. Jamie then later climbed atop an armored police vehicle.
On June 23, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested the Buteaus in Ocala.
This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Additional assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Jamie Buteau as #188 in its “seeking information” photos. The Metropolitan Police Department also aided the investigation, with further assistance provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office.
In the 34 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,200 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 400 individuals who have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers.
The investigation into the breach of the U.S. Capitol remains ongoing. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or visit the FBI’s website to submit an online tip.