WASHINGTON – Two men were sentenced today to 44 months in prison for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in verifying and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Cody Mattice, 29, of Greece, New York, and James Phillip Mault, 30, formerly of Brockport, New York, were sentenced in the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, on January 2, 2021, Mault and Mattice began texting about their travel plans from New York to Washington. On January 3, Mault texted Mattice to tell him that he had purchased Mattice pepper spray and a baton. Mattice then said he had a high-powered fire extinguisher they could keep in their vehicle to fend off the crowds, if necessary. On Jan. 5, Mault texted Mattice and several others, suggesting the others bring batons, pepper spray, hard hats, goggles, and “asskicking boots.”
Before marching to the Capitol on Jan. 6, Mattice checked in a few blocks away, saying, “This is about to go crazy.” According to court documents, the two men arrived on the grounds of the Capitol and joined others in advancing toward the police perimeter in West Plaza. Shortly before the police line was breached, Mault tried to convince the officers to pull back and join the crowd. At around 2:30 p.m., Mattice pulled down a segment of the metal barricades that stood in front of a police cordon. He quickly grabbed him with both hands, pulling him away from the officers and throwing him to the ground. Shortly after, rioters overwhelmed the police cordon, forcing officers to retreat to a central staircase leading to the lower west terrace. Mattice and Mault were part of the group that attacked the police cordon. They stood at or near the front of the group, pushing forward the officers, who were trying to stop the rioters from advancing.
Around 4 p.m., Mattice and Mault approached the tunnel leading to the Capitol building from the lower west terrace. They attempted to push their way through the crowd, climbed and surfed other rioters. After reaching the tunnel, they grabbed onto and hung from the wooden frame surrounding the arch. Mattice reached out to another rioter and grabbed a small object that appeared to be a cartridge. He then sprayed a chemical spray on the officers. After that, Mattice fell back and into the crowd. Mault also obtained a small canister containing chemical spray from another member of the crowd, and he too sprayed it at the officers defending the tunnel. Mault also obtained a second round from the mob and provided it to another rioter.
Mattice was arrested on October 7, 2021 in Hilton, New York. Mault, who now resides in Fayetteville, North Carolina, was arrested the same day in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The two pleaded guilty on April 22, 2022 to assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. After their prison sentence, each will be placed on three years of probation. They must also pay $2,000 each in restitution.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The case was investigated by the local FBI office in Buffalo and its resident agency in Rochester and the local FBI office in Washington, who identified Mattice as #284 and Mault as #142 in his information research photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Field Office in Charlotte, Metropolitan Police Department, United States Capitol Police, Rochester Police Department, Monroe County, New York Sheriff’s Office , the New York Police Department and the Brighton, New York Police Department.
In the 18 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 850 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 260 people charged with assaulting or obstructing the ‘law application. The investigation is still ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
