Joshua Colgan of Jefferson was identified by authorities in an image from inside the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021. The image was provided by the FBI and included in court documents outlining evidence used to charge Colgan with breaching the Capitol Building grounds. Courtesy of FBI
A Jefferson man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to three years of probation and 28 days of intermittent confinement for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots in Washington, D.C.
Joshua Colgan, 35, also was sentenced to 90 days of home detention and ordered to pay $500 restitution for violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Intermittent confinement means that Colgan can serve his 28 days in jail on nights and weekends, rather than in one continuous stretch.
Prosecutors had asked for 30 days in jail and 60 hours of community service in addition to the probation, citing Colgan’s violent rhetoric before the riot and spreading disinformation and showing “a complete lack of remorse” afterward. They also said he repeatedly denied entering the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, despite photographs and videotape showing him inside.
Colgan was arrested in Maine nearly a year ago and pleaded guilty in January after some of the charges against him were dropped. Prosecutors said he failed drug and alcohol tests while released before entering the guilty plea and also applied to the Maine State Police, without notifying federal court, to have his ability to possess a firearm reinstated.
Colgan grew up in Jefferson, left for a while and then returned two years ago to run a floor sanding and refinishing business.
Prosecutors said that before the Capitol riot he posted inflammatory comments on social media, calling for “war” and “chaos” and encouraging others to travel to Washington. They also said that he had a criminal history spanning 16 years, including jail time for felony substance use and trespassing.
Nearly a thousand individuals have been arrested and charged with breaching the U.S. Capitol, and more than 300 have been accused or convicted of assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Of the seven people with ties to Maine who have been arrested, two have been convicted of serious offenses:
• Kyle Fitzsimons, 37 of Lebanon, was found guilty of 11 charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13. He was originally scheduled for sentencing this month but had to request a new court date after his publicly appointed defense attorney resigned following his conviction.
• Glen Mitchell Simon, 30, a former Minot resident who moved to Georgia, was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to his role in the riot.
Two others have pleaded guilty and been sentenced:
• Nicholas Hendrix, 35, of Gorham, pleaded guilty last year to participating in the attack and was sentenced to 30 days in prison.
• Todd Tilley, 61, of South Paris, pleaded guilty in March to a misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing and was sentenced to a week behind bars, then four years of probation.
Two others have been charged:
• Christopher Maurer, 45, of Biddeford was charged in February with seven counts related to civil disorder, assaulting officers with a deadly weapon and illegally entering and committing violent acts on restricted grounds. Prosecutors allege he swung a large pole at officers and interfered with them as they tried to help another individual experiencing a medical emergency.
• David Ball, the owner of Broken Glass Co. in Wells, was charged in March with four misdemeanors, including disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, according to court records.
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