A Chicago police officer and his sister have been convicted at trial of misdemeanors stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Officer Karol Chwiesiuk and his sister, Agnieszka, were convicted of entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
“We are disappointed in the jury’s verdict,” Nishay Sanan, the siblings’ Chicago-based attorney told the Sun-Times by text. “This was a politically motivated trial and it shows the overbearing reach of the federal government on its constituents.”
The jury acquitted Karol Chwiesiuk on an additional count he faced, entering or remaining in a room designated for the use of a member of Congress. He had been accused of entering the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., during the riot.
Sanan and co-counsel Cece White had asked U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes to dismiss that charge during the trial. They argued that while prosecutors had proven that Karol Chwiesiuk entered the office, they did not prove he entered “with the intent to disrupt some kind of official business” because no business was occurring.
Court records show Reyes held the request in abeyance while the jury deliberated.
The Chwiesiuks’ trial took place in Washington, D.C. in the same courthouse where former President Donald Trump has faced criminal charges related to the Jan. 6 riot and an alleged bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Sentencing for the Chwiesiuks has been set for Dec. 8.
Karol Chwiesiuk was charged by prosecutors in June 2021. He is listed as inactive and on an unpaid leave of absence from the Chicago Police Department, according to CPD.
Agnieszka Chwiesiuk was not arrested until December 2022. She was accused of accompanying her brother and spending eight minutes inside the Capitol.
The FBI laid out much of its case against Karol Chwiesiuk in a court document filed when he was charged.
The FBI linked Karol Chwiesiuk to a device that had been near or inside the Capitol from 2:37 p.m. to 3:24 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, the document said. The device had been associated with an email account connected to Karol Chwiesiuk.
That email account received a “Stop the Steal” email on Jan. 5, 2021 predicting that the next day would be “historic” and listing scheduled events, including at the U.S. Capitol.
Geolocation data showed that Karol Chwiesiuk left Chicago on Jan. 4, 2021, arrived in Washington, D.C. the next day, and remained there until Jan. 7, 2021, according to the document. He returned to Chicago on Jan. 8, 2021, it said.
That data also showed Karol Chwiesiuk spent “a significant amount of time” in and around the Mayflower Hotel, where his sister had a reservation, the document said. But that data also showed Karol Chwiesiuk traveled from the Mayflower Hotel to the Capitol and back on Jan. 5, 2021.
The data then showed he spent 47 minutes in or around the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. During that time, 36 messages containing an image were sent from his phone number, the feds say. Seven were exchanged with someone the FBI identified and interviewed. That person confirmed he received messages from Karol Chwiesiuk on the day of the Capitol breach.
Karol Chwiesiuk had allegedly texted that person on Jan. 3, 2021 and said he was headed to Washington, D.C. to “save the nation.”
The other person replied, “Fat man child lost. Give it up.”
On Jan. 6, 2021, Karol Chwiesiuk texted that he’d “knocked out a commie last night,” and then he sent a picture in which the Chicago Police Department emblem could be seen on his hoodie, according to the document.
Later, Karol Chwiesiuk allegedly texted a photo that appeared to show him inside Merkley’s office.
Karol Chwiesiuk also allegedly wrote, “we inside the capital lmfao.”
The feds say the Chwiesiuks were also spotted on additional footage taken of the breach.
