An Ellijay man was arrested on charges related to breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His adult sons were charged with entering the building with his help.
Along with others, their actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress gathered to count electoral votes in the presidential election, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia.
William Gallagher, 55, of Ellijay, is charged with a felony offense of civil disorder and misdemeanor offenses of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
He was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on May 6, and is expected to make his initial appearance in the Northern District of Georgia, according to the release.
His sons, James Gallagher, 22, and Thomas Gallagher, 25, both of Ellijay, were also arrested and charged with misdemeanors relating to their conduct on Jan. 6, 2021.
According to court documents, the FBI received an anonymous tip on Jan. 16, 2021, that the three men had entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
William Gallagher is seen on closed-circuit television footage on Jan. 6, 2021, entering the U.S. Capitol at approximately 2:26 p.m., just after the Rotunda doors had been breached, according to the release.
He made his way to Statuary Hall and back to the Rotunda before calling his sons.
Ten minutes later, William Gallagher returned to the Rotunda doors which had been secured once again by Capitol police. According to the release, he placed his hands on a Capitol officer and pulled him away from the doors, and with another person, pushed him away from the door. As a result, the Rotunda doors were breached again.
James Gallagher and Thomas Gallagher then entered the building and joined their father, according to the release. They made their way to the Senate Chamber and then returned to the Rotunda.
All three men exited the building at 3:12 p.m. as law enforcement officers began clearing the building, according to the release.
According to court documents and pictures, William Gallagher and James Gallagher might have been affected by chemical spray following a scuffle with officers in the Rotunda.
When agents went to interview William Gallagher on Jan. 26, 2021, he told them, “I’ve been waiting for you guys,” according to court documents. Shortly thereafter, he requested to speak with an attorney.
“In the 40 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,424 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing,” according to the release.