Princeton student who joined mob on Jan. 6 pleads guilty to felony count

WASHINGTON — A Princeton University student who was on the front lines during one of the most pitched battles with police on Jan. 6 pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to one felony count of civil disorder.

Larry Fife Giberson, of New Jersey, was charged in March with six counts, including one felony count of impeding police during a civil disorder. Giberson appeared Monday morning alongside his attorney, Charles Burnham, to enter his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols.

Giberson was a student in Princeton’s French and Italian department on Jan. 6, 2021, when he joined a mob attempting to force its way past police and enter the U.S. Capitol through the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. According to a statement of facts submitted as part of his plea, Giberson admitted he helped usher other rioters into the tunnel and joined the coordinated “heave ho” push against police. Giberson was on the front lines when DC Police Officer Daniel Hodges was pinned in a doorframe by another rioter, Patrick McCaughey III, and crushed by the force of the mob.

After exiting the tunnel, investigators say he remained nearby and attempted to start a “Drag them out!” chant while other members of the mob continued battling police. According to charging documents, Giberson can be seen shouting something in the direction of rioters who were assaulting DC Police Officer Mike Fanone after he was pulled from the tunnel.

Giberson was identified in part thanks to a facial recognition match on a high school profile indicating he intended to attend Princeton University. He was later interviewed by the FBI at the Princeton Police Department. During the interview he identified himself as an individual seen in multiple videos wearing a blue “Make America Great Again” hat on Jan. 6. The Daily Princetonian, Princeton’s student newspaper, reported Giberson graduated in June with a bachelor’s degree in politics and a certificate in values and public life.

Giberson was scheduled to appear before Nichols again on Nov. 1 for sentencing. Under the terms of his plea agreement, his attorney will be able to argue against a three-level enhancement for making physical contact with an officer. If applied, Giberson’s estimated sentencing guideline range will be 8-14 months in prison. If not, he will face 0-6 months.