(Mike Osborne) — A Tennessee resident has, for the first time, been convicted at trial in connection with the 2021 riot in the U.S. Capitol.
Former West Tennessee resident Matthew Bledsoe was found guilty late last week on five charges related to the Capitol breach. Bledsoe lived in Cordova at the time of his arrest, but has since moved to Mississippi.
A total of 25 Tennesseans have been charged by federal authorities in connection with the riot. To date, seven have been sentenced. However, all seven were sentenced on a single charge after arranging plea deals with prosecutors.
Bledsoe is the first to actually face a jury. He could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison on the lone felony conviction and up to 3 years each on four misdemeanor charges.