A Macomb County man has been arrested and criminally charged after he was accused of illegally entering the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection aimed at disrupting the count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Jason Howland, 47, of Clinton Township, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of obstruction of an official proceeding, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
In addition, he is also charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Howland was arrested Jan. 24 by the FBI in Mount Clemens and made an initial appearance in the Eastern District of Michigan on the following day. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bond.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Stafford last week signed an order transferring the case to the Washington, D.C. district.
Howland is accused of being part of an angry mob that tried to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s victory following a rally by then-President Donald Trump. The mob involved Trump supporters breaking into the Capitol, ransacking offices, assaulting police officers and sending lawmakers into hiding as Congress tried to certify the 2020 Electoral College vote count process.
According to court documents, Howland was identified in open-source video as being on the Capitol grounds Jan. 6, 2021 on the side of the Capitol building. He is depicted among a crowd of rioters amassed near a police line formed to prevent the mob from accessing the Upper West Terrace.
The documents state that in an open-source video, Howland is seen turning his body to yell at the crowd behind him, “Let’s go!” He is later seen waving his arm forward toward the police line. The crowd then immediately begins to push forward, overtaking the police line and assaulting the officers.
Howland can be seen on the U.S. Capitol closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage entering the building through the Senate Wing Door.
He then proceeded to the Crypt, carrying a sign with him, where he remained for several minutes using his cell phone. He eventually left the Crypt and walked toward the House Wing Door before returning to the Crypt. He is seen walking between the Crypt and Crypt Lobby until eventually entering the Rotunda.
Federal prosecutors say Howland then walked back and forth between the Rotunda and East Foyer, interacting with police officers attempting to clear rioters of the area. In one such exchange, a second rioter is seen physically restraining Howland during a confrontation with law enforcement.
Howland remained in the East Foyer before leaving the area. After leaving the building, he stayed on Capitol grounds, yelling at law enforcement who were arriving in response to the insurrection.
According to The Detroit News, Howland co-founded the American Patriot Council with Ryan Kelley, a group that organized protests in Michigan against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other topics.
Kelley, a one-time gubernatorial candidate and real estate broker, was sentenced last October to 60 days in prison for committing a federal crime during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Howland is scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 6 before Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey. His federal defender, Todd Shanker, did not respond Monday for a request for comment.
More than 1,200 people from around the country have been charged in connection to the insurrection, including about 30 from Michigan. Howland becomes at least the sixth county resident who has been charged.
Five people died as a result of the melee and about 140 injuries were reported. Damages to the building were listed at $1.4 million.
The investigation remains ongoing.