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Putnam County resident Robert Ballesteros, of Mahopac, reportedly pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating, or picketing at the Capitol after being the ninth person in the Hudson Valley to be charged for his role in the insurrection earlier this year.
In total, 10 former and current Hudson Valley residents are facing charges for the riot.
Ballesteros had faced up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine on the misdemeanor charge. As part of his negotiations, he will reportedly meet with law enforcement investigators before his sentencing and pay hundreds of dollars in restitution to the federal government.
FBI investigators discovered Ballesteros’ presence at the Capitol after a tipster alerted agents about a social media video that had been posted online showing him wearing a black mask and red jacket on the day of the riot.
When someone on Instagram questioned whether Ballesteros had made it inside the Capitol building, he responded simply that he “put (his) foot in that door,” and that he “made (his) stand," an allegation he confirmed to investigators
According to the FBI, Ballesteros allegedly also said that he also had a video of a woman who was killed during the riot, but he removed it from the social media platform.
Ballesteros is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2021.
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