El Paso man to be sentenced for role in Jan 6. Capitol riot in Washington DC

An El Paso man, who is allegedly a former "member of a violent gang," is set to be sentenced in Washington D.C. for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot by former President Donald Trump supporters.

David Rene Arredondo, 48, is scheduled to be sentenced 1:30 p.m. MST Friday, May 3, before U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth in Washington D.C. on eight federal charges in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Arredondo was part of a pro-Donald Trump mob that stormed into the Capitol, seeking to halt the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory, U.S. Attorney's Office officials said.

Arredondo pleaded guilty Jan. 3 to eight federal charges as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

"Arredondo actively participated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol – an unprecedented attack that interrupted the certification of the 2020 Electoral College vote count, threatened the peaceful transfer of power, injured over one hundred state and federal police officers, and resulted in over 2.9 million dollars in losses," a sentencing memorandum states. "Arredondo actively participated in and furthered the civil disorder by assaulting police and removing physical barriers that stood in the way of rioters."

The sentencing memorandum filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia states that federal prosecutors are recommending that Arredondo be sentenced to three years and four months in federal prison and three years of supervised release after he serves his prison term.

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Prosecutors also are asking for Arredondo to pay $305 in mandatory assessment fees and $2,000 in restitution for "damages resulting in his conduct," the sentencing memorandum states.

The sentence Arredondo receives will be determined by Judge Lamberth.

His attorneys listed in federal court records are federal public defenders Andrew Steed and John Phillip Calhoun. Neither could be immediately reached for comment as they were traveling to D.C. for the sentencing hearing, federal public defender officials said.

Efforts to find contact information for Arredondo have been unsuccessful.

Arredondo is the only El Pasoan arrested in connection with the riot, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office database of the riot arrests.

Who is David Rene Arredondo?

Arredondo is a former small business owner who is married and has two children, the sentencing memorandum states.

Arredondo was "a member of a violent gang in Texas" 30 years ago, the sentencing memorandum states. He has a lengthy criminal record, records state.

In 1994, Arredondo was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 10 years in prison after shooting a victim in the buttock area, the sentencing memorandum states.

He also was convicted of a "deadly conduct, discharge firearm" charge and sentenced to 10 years in prison after shooting a victim in the neck. The sentence was served concurrently with the aggravated assault sentence.

Arredondo also was sentenced to 90 days in jail in 1994 in connection with another "deadly conduct, discharge firearm" charge after he and another person fired five to six shots at the victim's house.

While serving his time in prison sentence, Arredondo was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly in 2002, the sentencing memorandum states. He was sentenced to four years in prison. This sentence was served consecutively to his other sentences.

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"Based on Arredondo's violent past, his crimes on January 6 were not an isolated event in an otherwise law-abiding life," U.S. Attorney's Office officials said in the sentencing memorandum. "Arredondo's willingness to commit serious offenses now, at the age of 48, is particularly concerning since his prior convictions and sentences failed to serve as deterrents. Arredondo's violent past weigh in favor of a lengthy term of incarceration."

A "defendant's memorandum" filed by Arredondo's attorneys states Arredondo had a "difficult upbringing" and grew up "deeply impoverished and, at the time, dangerous neighborhood" on South Glenwood Street in South Central El Paso. The attorneys claimed "the neighborhood was rife with gang violence and was a scary place to live."

"Though his family was relatively stable, it was hard to escape the dysfunctional world around him," the defendant's memorandum states. "As a result, Mr. Arredondo struggled in his youth and made decisions he deeply regrets."

The attorneys claim Arredondo turned his life around since his previous convictions.

"Despite these hardships, Mr. Arredondo prides himself on turning his life around and finding stability," the defendant's memorandum states. "At the time of his arrest, Mr. Arredondo had stayed out of trouble for close to two decades. He met a wife whom he loves deeply, and he now has two daughters, who mean the world to him. Mr. Arredondo built his own company and worked hard to better support them. Thus, the man he was in the 1990s into the early 2000s is a far cry from the man he is today."

The attorneys claimed the Jan. 6 riot was "incited by political leaders who stayed above the fray while pushing regular citizens to storm the Capitol. These leaders used fear to incite people and Mr. Arredondo understands fear in a way many people are privileged not to."

More: El Paso man pleads guilty to assaulting police in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

The attorneys asked for Arredondo to receive a lenient sentence stating the average sentence for those previously convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 riot was 180 days in federal prison.

"Though Mr. Arredondo made the decidedly regrettable decision to participate in the events of January 6, 2021, his actions were not nearly as violent as most sentenced for similar charges," the defendant's memorandum states.

The defendant's memorandum concludes, "Mr. Arredondo made a life he was proud of, despite the hardship he came from. For decades Mr. Arredondo stayed out of trouble and took care of his family. While he is deeply ashamed of his actions on January 6th, Mr. Arredondo was not nearly as violent as others charged with the same or similar offenses. Because of this, Mr. Arredondo respectfully requests a sentence below his guideline range."

What role did David Rene Arredondo play in Jan. 6 2021 riot?

Arredondo and two family members, only identified in court documents as S.A. and S.H., traveled from El Paso to Washington D.C. on Jan. 4, 2021. They booked rooms at the Capitol Hill Hotel between Jan. 4 and Jan. 8. The hotel is about a half mile from the U.S. Capitol.

He was caught on surveillance videos exiting the hotel on Jan. 6 and being around the Capitol building wearing a red Trump "Make America Great Again" cap, sunglasses and a gaiter, a complaint affidavit states.

Arredondo pushed a bike rack fence against police officers trying to keep the mob from entering a plaza outside the Capitol, U.S. Attorney's Office officials said.

"Arredondo pushed a bike rack fencing against police and forcibly removed bike rack sections to create entry holes for rioters," the sentencing memorandum states. "Once rioters overwhelmed the police on the East perimeter line, Arredondo joined the rioters as they streamed towards the U.S. Capitol building and up the East Rotunda stairs."

Law enforcement officers obtained videos that showed Arredondo "making physical contact with a police officer trying to stop rioters from entering the Capitol doors," the affidavit states. He is seen grabbing the arm of a police officer who was surrounded by a mob of rioters. The officer is only identified as "Officer T.M." in court documents.

"Arredondo's assault of Officer T.M. was a clear attempt to stop him from shutting the door to an angry mob," the sentencing memorandum states.

Another police officer in the Capitol building is seen in the video being pulled away by the mob and falling to the ground. Arredondo is "seen grabbing the arm of the other police officer who is trying to keep a door to the Capitol shut, and attempting to pull the officer away from the door in an apparent effort to facilitate the entry of other rioters into the Capitol," the affidavit states.

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Capitol surveillance footage and other videos show Arredondo inside the Capitol for under 40 minutes, the affidavit states. He entered and exited the building through the east Rotunda Doors.

Arredondo and other rioters chanted as they walked around the Capitol, the sentencing memorandum states.

A search warrant found geolocation information showing that a cellphone linked to Arredondo was present at the U.S. Capitol during the time of the riot, the affidavit states.

Witness identifies David Rene Arredondo in riot videos

FBI agents interviewed a witness March 23, 2023, and April 13, 2022. The witness, who is not named in court documents, identified Arredondo in nine out of 11 video clips shown of the riot, including Arredondo grabbing an officer, the affidavit states.

Agents reviewed photos of Arredondo at the riot and compared them to social media photos and Arredondo's driver's license. The agents determined Arredondo was the man in the videos of the riot.

He was arrested by FBI El Paso agents Oct. 26, 2022, in connection with the riot at his home in the 1200 block of Morgan Marie Street near Rojas Drive and Joe Battle Boulevard in far East El Paso.

He was later released from the El Paso County Jail pending the outcome of the case on a $10,000 bond secured by a $1,000 cash deposit, court documents show.

Federal law enforcement have arrested more than 1,230 people from across the country and charged them with crimes related to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol three years ago.

What charges did David Rene Arredondo plead guilty to?

Here are the charges Arredondo pleaded guilty to and the maximum sentences he could receive on each count:

• Civil disorder; 5 years in federal prison, 3 years supervised release.

• Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; 8 years in federal prison, 3 years supervised release.

• Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; 1 year in federal prison, 1 year supervised release.

• Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; 1 year in federal prison, 1 year supervised release.

• Engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; 1 year in federal prison, 1 year supervised release.

• Disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; 6 months in federal prison, 5 years of probation.

• Act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings; 6 months in federal prison, 5 years of probation.

• Parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building; 6 months in federal prison, 5 years of probation.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas man faces sentencing for Jan. 6 Capitol riot