Burke County man indicted for Jan. 6 Capitol breach enters not guilty plea

UPDATE ON JAN. 16:

The Burke County man arrested in August 2024 for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol has pled not guilty to his nine indicted charges during his arraignment on Jan. 16.

Gregory Peck's next hearing will take place on Thursday, April 10, at 10 a.m. Peck is under a personal recognizance bond which is an agreement granted by a judge that allows a defendant to be released from jail as along as they promise to appear in court.  

This hearing is four days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who pledged during his presidential campaign to pardon Jan. 6 rioters in his second term as president.

Peck, of 140 Dogwood St., was indicted Nov. 20, 2024, by the U.S. District of Columbia District Court by a grand jury on the following counts:

• Civil disorder
• Two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers
• Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon
• Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon
• Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon
• Engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon
• Disorderly conduct in a Capitol building
• Act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings

Public Affairs Specialist Daniel Ball of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia reported that Peck was arraigned on the charges on Jan. 16. He was released on bond in August 2024, following his arrest on Aug. 7.

Peck was appointed four years ago to the Planning Board by the Rutherford College Town Council. He is also the co-owner of Deeply Rooted, a local landscaping company.

“It’s a shock,” Town Manager Jessica Bargsley said two days after he was arrested. “He’s a sweet guy … he has a beautiful family.”

Bargsley confirmed Peck no longer serves on the Planning Board since his term ended in December 2024 and he did not reapply for the position.

Four years ago on Jan. 6, a mass of President Trump’s supporters rushed the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from counting the electoral votes of the 2020 presidential election.

The 2025 certification process — certifying Trump as President and J.D. Vance as Vice President — was completed without incident. 

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland reported on the fourth anniversary that the U.S. Department of Justice has charged more than 1,500 individuals for related crimes to the Jan. 6 riot and incidents leading up to the riot.

“Over the past four years, our prosecutors, FBI agents, investigators, and analysts have conducted one of the most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in the Justice Department’s history,” Garland said.