Crime

Florida porn star-turned-Proud Boy headed to prison for ‘leading’ role in Jan. 6 riot

Rioters stand on the U.S. Capitol building to protest the official election of President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington D.C.
Rioters stand on the U.S. Capitol building to protest the official election of President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington D.C. USA TODAY NETWORK

A Florida man, described as an “adult film actor” and a Proud Boy, is heading to federal prison.

Steven Miles, 40, pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Miles and more than 2,000 other rioters stormed the Capitol to disrupt the Electoral College’s vote count and overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Miles lives in Zephyrhills, a city half-an-hour northwest of Tampa. He traveled to Washington, D.C. for the Jan. 6 rally but left before any speeches began, instead opting to rendezvous with other Proud Boys and play “a leading role in the riot,” according to court records.

Wearing a camouflage jacket and pants combo and a red “Make America Great Again” cap, Miles and his co-defendant Matthew LeBrun, a 33-year-old New Orleans resident, entered the “restricted perimeter” of the Capitol building, undeterred by barricades and police in riot gear, court records say.

Miles then shoved a Capitol police officer and attempted to punch another, according to court records. LeBrun cheered him on.

A short time later, Miles used a wooden plank to smash a window and gain access inside of the Capitol. LeBrun and a cascade of rioters, “overwhelming” police, also took advantage of the smashed window to enter the building.

“In addition to attempting to assault the officer, Miles made additional physical contact with law enforcement officers, seeking to obstruct, impede, and interfere with their efforts to hold back the rioters,” said a statement from the U.S. State Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia.

Miles, who was arrested in April 2022, will be sentenced in a Washington D.C. courtroom in February 2024.

More than 1,100 people across the country have been charged for crimes related to the Capitol riot, according to the U.S. State Attorney’s Office. Anyone with information about Jan. 6 should call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Grethel Aguila
Miami Herald
Grethel covers courts and the criminal justice system for the Miami Herald. She graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), speaks Spanish and Arabic and loves animals, traveling, basketball and good storytelling. Grethel also attends law school part time.
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