A St. Cloud woman pleaded guilty on Thursday to felony charges related to the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Leslie Gray, 57, pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding in federal court in Washington, D.C. According to prosecutors, Gray traveled to Washington with Luis Halloran, 67, and Traci Issacs, 52, a married couple also from St. Cloud. Halloran and Issacs have already pleaded guilty to similar charges.
Officials said Gray first attended the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., where former President Donald Trump spoke and falsely disputed the results of the November 2020 presidential election, which he lost. After the rally, Gray walked to the Capitol where a riot broke out as Congress worked to count electoral votes and certify the election.
Prosecutors say Gray posted several videos of herself outside and inside the Capitol building.
In one, Gray could be heard yelling for the crowd of people to “Go! Go! Go!” and to get out of her way. She then flipped the camera around to show herself and said, “We are up to the doors now. … We are about to breach Congress,” prosecutors said.
In another from inside the Capitol, Gray was heard saying, “I am in Congress. This is our house. This is our house! … [W]e are in here. We’ve taken it.”
Officials said Gray spent less than 20 minutes inside the Capitol roaming around to several areas including the Rotunda before she and others were forced out by law enforcement. She is among more than 1,000 people to face charges for their actions more than two years ago.
Gray’s sentencing for her crime is scheduled for Sept. 28.