Leeds man sentenced on charges related to Jan. 6 US Capitol breach

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - A man from Leeds was sentenced Tuesday to 22 months in prison on three felony charges and two misdemeanor charges for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol breach.

Joshua Matthew Black, 46, was convicted in January 2023 of five charges including (1) entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; (2) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; (3) unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on Capitol grounds or buildings; (4) entering and remaining on the floor of Congress; and (5) disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, according to the Department of Justice.

Prosecutors say Black, who was shot in the face with a non-lethal munition, was the first rioter to breach the barricade at the lower west terrace before entering the U.S. Capitol and occupying the Senate Chamber.

When he returned to Leeds where he was eventually arrested, Black posted a YouTube video where he explained how he entered the Capitol Building with a knife.

Black was acquitted of one charge of obstructing an official proceeding.

In addition to the 22-month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Amy B. Jackson ordered 24 months of supervised release and restitution of $2,000.

Black is one of about 500 rioters sentenced to prison for crimes related to the January 6 breach.

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