Jan. 6 rioter nicknamed 'shield grampy' admits to assaulting officers at the Capitol

Source: NBC News

March 6, 2024, 2:50 PM EST


WASHINGTON — A Jan. 6 rioter nicknamed "Shield Grampy" by online sleuths has admitted that he used a stolen police shield during the brutal battle at the lower west tunnel and assaulted officers with a flagpole-like object and a baton.

Anthony Mastanduno pleaded guilty to nine counts on Wednesday and was ordered taken into custody by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who set his sentencing for June 27. Mastanduno, 61, was arrested in August, with an FBI affidavit noting that online "sedition hunters" had given Mastanduno his nickname "due to his age and his use of a stolen police shield to assault MPD officers at the entrance to the tunnel."

Mastanduno previously lived in Farmingdale, New York, but now lives in North Carolina.

According to an agreed-upon court filing, he "was wearing a red baseball cap with a patch on the bill and 'Trump 2020 Keep America Great!' embroidered in white thread, a camouflage jacket, and a backpack" on Jan. 6 and also, at times, "donned large, clear goggles with a blast elastic strap." He entered the Capitol about four minutes after it was first breached by a massive pack of rioters led by Michael Sparks, who jumped through a window smashed in by Proud Boy Dominic Pezzola.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/jan-6-rioter-nicknamed-shield-grampy-admits-assaulting-officers-capito-rcna142086