A former Uniontown man will serve 14 years in prison for his role in the riot designed to upend the certification of the 2020 presidential election at the U.S. Capitol.

A jury in December found Peter J. Schwartz, 49, who now lives in Owensboro, Ky., guilty of nine felonies and two misdemeanors. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta in Washington, D.C.

The charges included assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement using a dangerous weapon, interfering with a law enforcement officer during civil disorder, and obstruction of an official proceeding.

Federal prosecutors said that Schwartz and his estranged wife, Shelly Stallings, attended the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, before moving to the Capitol.

There, the government said, Schwartz threw a folding chair at police officers and stole their pepper spray and then used it against them.

“By throwing that chair, Schwartz directly contributed to the fall of the police line that enabled rioters to flood forward and take over the entire terrace,” the government wrote in its sentencing brief.

In Schwartz’s case, the government asked for a sentence of 24-1/2 years in prison, calling him “one of the most violent and aggressive participants” in the attack, and “someone who has a long history of assaulting police officers and women.”

Schwartz, who arrived at the Capitol with a wooden tire knocker, was on probation at the time for a case that involved illegal firearms and assault.

The government also noted Schwartz’s “utter lack of remorse and his efforts to profit from his crime.”

“After leaving Capitol grounds, Schwartz bragged to multiple people about his participation in the violence that day,” the prosecution wrote.

He also boasted about throwing the chair and “gleefully described” stealing police pepper spray.

“I threw the first chair at the cops after they maced us,” he wrote in a text message to a friend the next day. “Then we all charged them.”

That same day on Facebook, Schwartz wrote: “What happened yesterday was the opening of a war. I was there, and whether people will acknowledge it or not, we are now at war.”

In Schwartz’s sentencing brief, the defense wrote that he was remorseful and he made a mistake.

The defense asked for a prison term of 4-1/2 years.

“Although his conduct is indeed serious, it is significant to note that Mr. Schwartz’s actions were not motivated by any desire for personal financial gain or any other type of benefit,” the defense wrote. “Rather, his actions were motivated by a misunderstanding as to the facts surrounding the 2020 election.”

The defense said that Schwartz is hard-working and kind and works as a welder.

“Mr. Schwartz has learned valuable life lessons from this incident, and he will never repeat the actions that bring him before the court in this case,” the defense wrote. “He is committed to facing the consequences of his actions and rebuilding his life after making a big mistake.”

Stallings pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced last month to two years in prison.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)