The former CEO of a data analytics firm, who was arrested during the U.S. Capitol riot and subsequently fired from his company, pleaded guilty Tuesday to the charges against him.
Bradley Rukstales appeared via video conference to enter his plea.
Under a plea agreement, Rukstales agreed to plead guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. In exchange, prosecutors said he will not be prosecuted further and will request the remaining charges be dismissed.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 12.
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Rukstales, of Inverness, was charged earlier this year with "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds."
Rukstales was the CEO of Schaumburg-based Cogensia, but he was terminated by the Board of Directors following news of his arrest.
"This decision was made because Rukstales' actions were inconsistent with the core values of Cogensia," Joel Schiltz, senior vice president of Cogensia and acting CEO, said in a statement. "Cogensia condemns what occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, and we intend to continue to embrace the values of integrity, diversity and transparency in our business operations, and expect all employees to embrace those values as well."
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More than 560 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the Capitol riot. At least 35 of those defendants have pleaded guilty to riot-related charges as of earlier this month.
“The lawless destruction of the U.S. Capitol building was an attack against one of our Nation’s greatest institutions,” Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said in a statement at the time. “My office, along with our law enforcement partners at all levels, have been expeditiously working and leveraging every resource to identify, arrest, and begin prosecuting these individuals who took part in the brazen criminal acts at the U.S. Capitol. We are resolute in our commitment to holding accountable anyone responsible for these disgraceful criminal acts, and to anyone who might be considering engaging in or inciting violence in the coming weeks – know this: you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Not long after his arrest, Rukstales appeared to address his involvement in a statement on Twitter, saying "in a moment of extremely poor judgment following the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, I followed hundreds of others through an open set of doors to the Capitol building to see what was taking place inside."
He called it "the single worst decision of my life" and said he regrets taking part.
NBC Chicago could not independently reach Rukstales to verify the remarks.
