A man from Pittsburgh’s South Side Slopes pleaded guilty Wednesday to obstructing law enforcement during Downtown protests over George Floyd’s death on May 30, 2020.

Jordan Coyne, 26, agreed to an 18-month federal prison term in exchange for his plea. He will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab on July 19.

During the afternoon of May 30, 2020, protesters were marching peacefully through Downtown when a small group of people became violent near PPG Paints Arena, throwing rocks, concrete and other items at police officers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lusty said Coyne threw multiple rocks at a police vehicle, breaking both its front and rear windshields.

He also broke the rear tail light of a police car, which was then set on fire.

Lusty said the crowd continued to move into Downtown where Coyne was caught on video throwing items, including rocks, bricks, concrete and a tear gas canister at police officers.

An officer who was struck by the canister sustained a hand injury.

Lusty said Coyne was wearing distinctive red goggles at the time, which helped authorities identify him.

Coyne still faces charges stemming from the same incident in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, including aggravated assault, criminal mischief, institutional vandalism, obstruction, propelling missiles into occupied vehicles and disorderly conduct.

The plea agreement in federal court calls for both sentences to run concurrently.

Coyne is the sixth defendant stemming from the protest arrests to plead guilty in federal court.

During Wednesday’s plea hearing, Schwab asked Lusty to break down the penalties received by each of them.

Coyne’s punishment falls in the middle of the group, the prosecutor said.

Brian Bartles pleaded guilty to vandalizing a Pittsburgh police car that was later set on fire by other protesters. He was ordered to spend one day in the custody of U.S. marshals followed by six months in a halfway house and three years of supervised release. Raekwon Blankenship was accused of wielding a construction sign at a police horse, poking at it and throwing the sign into the windshield of a police car. He pleaded guilty in federal court to obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and was given time served for the five months he remained in custody. Blankenship also pleaded guilty to similar charges in state court where he was ordered to serve 2-1/2 to 5 years in prison. George Allen also pleaded guilty to obstruction, admitting that he threw a brick through a police car window during the protests, shattering the glass that sprayed the officer driving. The sergeant in the passenger seat was struck by the brick. Allen was ordered to serve a year and a day in prison. Nicholas Lucia pleaded guilty to throwing a firecracker at police officers during the protests. It exploded, causing at least one officer to sustain a concussion. Lucia was ordered to serve two years in prison. Andrew Augustyniak-Duncan was ordered to serve 41 months in federal prison for throwing concrete and pipes at officers. Two officers sustained concussions.

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