Florida roofer and Proud Boy found guilty in Capitol riot case

Gabriel Garcia is hardly the first Florida man found guilty of two felonies, but he is among the few who have documented themselves committing the crime.

“We just went ahead and stormed the Capitol,” Garcia said to the camera before posting a video of himself inside the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021.

On Nov. 21, Garcia was found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder, both felony charges, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.

Garcia is a former member of the Vice Chapter of Proud Boys, a group New Zealand and Canada have designated as a terrorist organization. 

According to the Department of Justice, Garcia was “hand-selected” by the group’s leader Enrique Tarrio to join a planning chapter dubbed the “Ministry of Self Defense,” which helped orchestrate the riot at the Capitol. Tarrio, himself a Miami native, is now serving a 22-year sentence for his role in Jan. 6. 

Walking around the Rotunda that day, Garcia recorded himself saying, “Nancy, come out and play!”

When police officers restrained him, he yelled, “F**k you guys, you f**king traitors!”

The FBI arrested Garcia on Jan. 19, 2021 in Miami. 

Prior to attacking the Capitol, Garcia owned a Miami-based roofing business, Supreme Aluminum Florida. Records show he dissolved the business in January, which might have something to do with the ankle monitor he has worn since his 2021 arrest. His lawyers attempted to have his ankle monitor removed in September 2021, making the argument that it interfered with his work as a roofer and was embarrassing in client meetings, NBC reported. 

Garcia will be sentenced on Mar. 28, 2024, the Department of Justice said in its press release.