Montana brothers plead guilty in Jan. 6 Capitol attack

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Two Montana brothers whom authorities said were among the first people to breach the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection have pleaded guilty to obstructing official proceedings under a plea deal with prosecutors.

Jerod and Joshua Hughes of East Helena climbed through a broken window and Jerod Hughes helped kick open a door to allow other rioters inside while Congress was certifying the 2020 Electoral College vote, the FBI said in charging documents.

The brothers later were near the front of a group that pursued a Capitol Police officer who was able to lead the mob away from the Senate floor.

They face a maximum of 20 years in prison. Eight other felony counts against the men are being dropped under the plea deals with prosecutors.

Those agreements call on Jerod Hughes, 37, to receive 51 to 63 months in prison and for Joshua Hughes, 38, to receive 41 to 51 months under federal sentencing guidelines.

They also agreed to pay $2,000 each in restitution toward $1.5 million in damages done to the Capitol during the insurrection, when supporters of then-President Donald Trump disrupted a joint session of Congress as lawmakers met to certify President Joe Biden's 2020 victory.

Both men were allowed to remain free on their own recognizance pending sentencing on November 22, following a Thursday hearing before U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington.