WASHINGTON, D.C. – A former Viera High School teacher has pleaded guilty to a charge filed against him as part of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot.
Kenneth John Reda, 54, was arrested by FBI agents on July 7 on charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct inside the U.S. Capitol and making violent entry to the U.S. Capitol Building.
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As part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Reda pleaded guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing inside a Capitol building. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a fine.
According to a criminal complaint from the FBI, investigators received a tip on Jan. 18 with a screenshot of messages on Parler, the far-right social networking site. The tipster claimed one of the commenters, under the screen name “mrjoebidenhead,” was Reda admitting to being inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. Records obtained from Parler, LLC later confirmed the account belongs to Reda, according to the criminal complaint.
Brevard County Public Schools placed Reda on leave after he was arrested, and Reda resigned Aug. 13, according to the district. They confirmed he was a physical education teacher at Viera High School at the time of the Capitol riot.
He told the judge on Thursday he was currently seeking employment.
Sentencing for Reda’s case was scheduled for Feb. 9 at 2 p.m.