A New York man running for former Rep. George Santos’ vacant congressional seat was convicted Tuesday over his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Philip Sean Grillo, 49, who testified at trial that he had “no idea” Congress met inside the Capitol building, was found guilty of five charges in Washington, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
These include a felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding, as well as misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Grillo will be sentenced by a judge at a later date, the Justice Department said.
Federal prosecutors said that Grillo, who reportedly called himself the “Republican Messiah” on social media, entered the Capitol through a broken window and proceeded to push police officers, smoke marijuana and film himself on his cellphone.
“We f— did it! We got to the Capitol building,” he said in one recording, according to a transcription by prosecutors.
“We f—did it! We f— did it, baby! We f— did it, you understand? We stormed the Capitol. We shut it down! We did it! We shut the mother..!”
Grillo, who resides in Queens, is one of at least 19 people who have announced their candidacy to fill a seat representing New York’s 3rd Congressional District after Santos was removed from office following a historic vote last week.
The first-term Republican congressman was given the boot after the House Ethics Committee alleged that he spent campaign money on Botox, designer fashion and other personal items, which he has called a “politicized smear.” Santos continues to face a separate 23-count federal indictment, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Attorneys for Grillo did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment Thursday.