WASHINGTON (CN) — Two brothers from Illinois who stormed the Capitol together but were arrested nearly six months apart pleaded guilty to their role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot on Monday.
Christian Kulas, 24, and Mark Kulas, 27, both made headlines after their arrests as their parents are the founders of a decades-old, very successful cleaning service in Chicago named Kulas Maids.
On Jan. 6, Christian took a video of himself walking up the steps of the U.S. Capitol and shouting, “Block the steal!”
Wearing a Keep America Great hat, Christian cheered in support of the rioters and posted it on Instagram under his handle, “Radheshyam Bomeesh” where he describes himself as a “Yogi, Spiritual Catalyst, Alchemist.”
When someone sent photos of Christian at the Capitol to his mother and asked her to confirm if it was her son, Christian’s mother replied yes, with a smiley face.
Christian was arrested in June, thanks to his Instagram posts, and Mark was arrested months later, in November.
Both brothers pleaded guilty to unlawful parading, picketing or demonstrating in a Capitol building and face up to six months in prison — though are likely to face far less.
The Kulas brothers will be sentenced on March 7.
Early on Monday, Paul Westover of St. Louis also pleaded guilty to the same misdemeanor charge as the Kulas brothers.
Westover, 53, was quickly identified by St. Louis social media users who noticed the hat for the Blues professional hockey team that he wore while wandering around the Capitol, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office.
Westover will be sentenced on Feb. 16.
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