PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Portland woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to a criminal charge stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
Lilith Saer pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building. All other charges were dismissed in the plea agreement.
During the hearing, Saer took issue with the term “parading” but admitted she was in the building illegally. The college student told the judge she was inside the building for about 5 to 6 minutes, then remained on the Capitol grounds.
According to court documents, investigators claimed Saer was connected with QAnon, a group that believes a wide-reaching conspiracy theory that’s popular among right-wing extremists.
Saer was arrested on July 7, 2022 following the FBI’s investigation, which found video recordings and photos from Jan. 6 capturing Saer who had bright blue-colored hair.
Investigators say they received a tip informing them a photo of Saer inside the Capitol building was circulating online. An initial search did not confirm Saer’s involvement, but investigators said an updated search conducted in March 2022 uncovered a new photo that showed Saer among a crowd of rioters outside the U.S. Capitol.
The FBI then met with three people who know Saer to confirm that she was in fact the person seen in the photos taken at the Jan. 6 attack, officials said. Investigators also confirmed the person in the photos resembles Saer’s driver’s license photo.
Saer is one of nine people from Oregon or Southwest Washington accused of taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. She is the most recent defendant to be charged.
At her sentencing in April, Saer faces a maximum of 6 months in prison, a $5,000 fine and five years probation.