Feds: Shaler Army ranger deserves 9 years in U.S. prison for Capitol riot violence

The government wants a former Army ranger and combat veteran from Shaler convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack to spend more than nine years in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors said Robert Morss should be sentenced to 109 months, or midway between the guideline range of 97 to 121 months, when U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden punishes him on May 24.

“The image of a battle-dressed Army Ranger turning against his own country and attacking the men and women protecting the Capitol building is striking,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Bond in a sentencing memo. “In choosing to go on the attack on January 6th, he turned his back on his duty to serve and protect his country as he once did.”

The prosecutor also said that Morss, who had been a substitute history teacher in the Shaler district at the time of the attack, has served as a bad example to his students by engaging in “sustained violent and obstructive conduct” against police and not showing any remorse for what he did.

Morss, she said, “enthusiastically” helped shatter the centuries-old peaceful transfer of power in America and then later described himself to the public and his students as a political prisoner.

Morss has raised more than $54,000 through his family in an online campaign called the “Robert Morss Support Fund.” Prosecutors aren’t seeking to fine Morss but are asking the judge for “an accounting” of the funds he’s received.

An Afghanistan combat veteran, Morss was convicted at trial in August with other rioters on charges of assault and other offenses pertaining to fighting police at the Capitol.

He joined the group of rioters at about 2 p.m. wearing a vest designed to hold body armor and carrying a knife sheath and scissors.

He moved to the front of the line of rioters who were squaring off with police and tried to steal a baton from an officer. He also removed a bike rack fence from an officer, leaving no barrier between the rioters and the police, and then yelled to his fellow insurrectionists: “Take a look around. We are going to take our Capitol back.”

He joined a line of rioters and pushed police back, participating in a heave-ho with others against police, then wrestled a riot shield from an officer and passed it back to others. The rioters then created their own shield wall for use against the police.

Morss also later climbed through a broken window, stole a chair and handed it to fellow rioters.

The FBI arrested him in June 2021. He’s been in custody since.

Bond recounted his actions leading up to the attack to show his intent. On Jan. 4, two days before the riot, Morss texted about his preparations for going to Washington, saying he would wear his “plate carrier” — his body armor vest — and that he was “ready for anything and everything brotha.”

Bond said Morss had made other statements anticipating violence. On Dec. 31, 2020, Morss texted that he was “excited for the 6th.” When his pen pal asked “What’s the 6th?,” Morss sent a screen capture of a tweet with an image of the text that said: “America Will Not Be ‘Reset’ America Will Be Reborn” and “1776 Will Commence Again January 6th, 2021, Washington, D.C.” with a picture of Donald Trump next to the words “Be there, will be wild.”

Morss then sent a text saying, “IT’S GOING DOWWWWWN!”

In the weeks after the riot, Morss wrote a note to himself on his phone about what he would say to a judge someday, concluding that he had no regrets about his actions.

“A lengthy sentence is one of the few consequences that may restrain Morss in the future from violent conduct that he views as justified,” Bond said.

Morss is one of about two dozen people from Western Pennsylvania charged in the insurrection. The total number is more than 1,000 and continues to grow as the FBI continues its investigation.