This photo is reported to show Paul Orta, of Blue Earth, removing a barricade during the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U. S. Capitol building in Washington D.C.

A Blue Earth man received a six-month sentence for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Paul Orta Jr., 35, pled guilty to civil disorder and aiding and abetting and was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

An article in the Nov. 27, 2023, issue of the Faribault County Register reported that Orta had been charged with a felony count of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and various misdemeanor counts including entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.

Video taken at the Capitol building on that day allegedly showed Orta moving barricades and other activities such as approaching police officers, throwing an object at the police line and pushing through a police line.

Although federal sentencing guidelines called for Orta to receive a prison term of eight to 14 months, Orta was sentenced to six months of incarceration plus a year of supervised release.

Orta is also required to pay $2,000 in restitution to the architect of the U.S. Capitol to account for his share of the damage to the buildings and grounds, which is estimated to be close to $3 million.

The Register reported in their Nov. 26 story that Orta went to the FBI office in Brooklyn Center on Jan. 25, 2021, just over two weeks after the incident at the Capitol, because he had seen his name and photo on the FBI website. It was reported in various publications the he did so because he said he wanted to “do the right thing.”

Prior to sentencing, Orta’s attorneys cited their client’s actions and the fact that he had no criminal history in arguing that Orta should not be locked up. However, the prosecutors, in arguing for a tougher sentence, countered that Orta had removed physical barriers and had physical contact with officers.

More than 1,400 people have been charged for crimes related to the event on Jan. 6, including 14 people from Minnesota. Over 500 people have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.