WASHINGTON — Editor's note: Vitali Gossjankowski was forcibly arrested in court Monday after he refused to surrender. Read more here.
A federal judge has ordered a former Gallaudet University student convicted in the Capitol riot back to court on Monday after federal prosecutors filed images of harassing text messages he allegedly sent to a law enforcement officer who testified in his case.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman scheduled a hearing Monday morning for Vitali GossJankowski to determine whether to revoke his release as he awaits sentencing on multiple felony counts related to the Jan. 6 riot. A jury convicted the 34-year-old former Gallaudet student in March of obstructing the joint session of Congress, civil disorder and assaulting a police officer.
In a filing asking Friedman to revoke GossJankowski’s release, prosecutors said he has repeatedly made intimidating statements toward law enforcement on social media since his conviction – and that behavior has escalated in recent weeks.
According to prosecutors, on Oct. 14 and 15 a law enforcement officer who helped arrange GossJankowski’s FBI interview and arrest, and who later testified during a hearing in the case, began receiving harassing messages from Gossjankowski’s phone number. The messages allegedly contained antisemitic and racist epithets and suggested the officer should be violently sexually assaulted, according to the Justice Department’s filing.
Following his conviction in march, Friedman allowed GossJankowski to stay on release while he awaits sentencing. That hearing has been delayed by GossJankowski’s decision to request a new public defender after his trial and no date is currently set. In their filing seeking revocation of his release, prosecutors said they intend to seek a substantial prison term in the case.
“His behavior has highlighted a complete lack of remorse, a complete failure to accept responsibility and a complete inability to comport himself with the basic requirements of release pending sentencing,” federal prosecutors wrote.
Friedman gave GossJankowski’s new attorney until Saturday at midnight to file a response to the government’s motion and ordered all parties to appear before him Monday morning for a preliminary revocation hearing, where he could consider revoking GossJankowski’s release or imposing additional restrictions.