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Robert Morss, Glenshaw (previously of Pittsburgh) was sentenced by US District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden to serve 66 months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release and restitution of $2000 for assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon, obstruction of an official proceeding, and robbery during the January 6 US Capitol Riot, the US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.
Morss was convicted on August 23, 2022, according to court records.
In the updated release it was revealed that he wore "a vest with body armor plates and had a black knife sheath and scissors," and "He then attempted to steal a police-issued baton from an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also removed a bike rack fence from the immediate control of an MPD sergeant."
The release goes on to state, "Morss later joined several other rioters in climbing through a broken window. Morss entered an office within the Capitol, took a chair, and passed it out of the broken window to the rioters outside."
He was the leader of the Bull-Moose party at Penn State University in 2016, as the Daily Collegian reported at the time.
He is also a former infantryman with the US Army who served three tours in Afghanistan reportedly with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, according to his LinkedIn.
Morss was working as a substitute social studies teacher in Allegheny County at Shaler Area School District at the time of his arrest according to the US DOJ's criminal complaint.
The US DOJ kept Morss in custody following his June 11, 2021— citing the FBI's apprehension of his US Capitol LEGO set— believed to help plan his route at the riot.
Among the seized items were also plans to form a militia in a notebook titled “Step by Step To Create Hometown Militia," which showed training plans for skills his ideal militia would need, such as “Ambush,” “Battle Drills” and “Formations," according to the documents released by the US DOJ.
You can read more about the items seized in our original coverage on Morss here.
Pennsylvania has the most Capitol Rioters out of any US state, with over 50 people charged thus far.
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