Chad Dustin Suenram, a 44-year-old U.S. Marine veteran from Wichita, Kansas, has pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds stemming from his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Suenram, who was dubbed the “#FlagFaceMarine” (video below) by online investigators due to his appearance that day, entered his plea before Judge Ana C. Reyes on Monday. He faces a maximum sentence of 6 months in jail and a $5,000 fine when he is sentenced on August 19th.
According to court documents, Suenram traveled to Washington D.C. on January 5th and was identified at the Capitol the next day through cellphone data, facial recognition software, and surveillance footage. He was seen wearing a black hoodie, USMC shirt, and a patriotic face mask with an American flag painted on the side of his head.
The FBI affidavit states Suenram entered the Capitol through the Senate fire door around 2:45 pm on January 6th and re-entered around 3:05 pm through another door after initially being forced out. Security footage shows him joining chanting crowds and filming inside for 25-27 minutes.
After exiting, Suenram remained on the grounds, standing at the front of a mob confronting police at the north door entrance. The affidavit says he cheered on efforts to breach the building as officers deployed tear gas.
Suenram is the 9th of 10 Kansans charged in the Capitol Riots to plead guilty so far. In pleading to the single misdemeanor, prosecutors dropped three other charges of disorderly conduct and demonstrating in the Capitol.
His plea comes over two years after the marine veteran-turned-landscaper engaged in the high-profile breach while draped in patriotic garb and American imagery. Suenram’s distinctive appearance made him one of the more recognizable figures from the historic riot.
