WASHINGTON — A Virginia man was sentenced to eight years in federal prison on Friday for his role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Zachary Jordan Alam, 32, of Centreville, Virginia, was convicted of eight felonies and three misdemeanors, including charges of assaulting officers, obstruction of an official proceeding, and destruction of government property.
The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich, who ordered Alam to serve 96 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. He was also required to pay $4,484 in restitution for damages caused during the riot.
Court records show that on January 6, Alam was part of a crowd that gathered illegally on the Capitol’s west lawn before entering the building. Video evidence and witness testimony revealed that Alam leapt through a broken window at approximately 2:17 p.m. and roamed the Capitol for over half an hour, moving between floors and engaging in destructive behavior.
According to the Justice Department, Alam’s actions included throwing objects at police, attempting to kick down doors, and leading a group of rioters in an attempt to breach the House chamber. Prosecutors noted that Alam confronted U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the doors to the Speaker’s Lobby, where he shouted threats and punched and shattered glass panes as members of Congress were evacuating nearby.
Alam also used a black helmet to smash additional glass panes and reportedly called on other rioters to “need guns” as they sought to enter secure areas of the Capitol.
Alam was arrested by the FBI on January 30, 2021, in Denver, Pennsylvania. Investigators said they found evidence suggesting that he was preparing to flee and attempting to discard items that connected him to the events at the Capitol.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with support from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.