Pittsfield Man Sentenced to Prison in U.S. Capitol Breach

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A city man has been sentenced to prison for his actions at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 
 
Troy Sargent, 38, was sentenced Monday in the District of Columbia to 14 months in prison for felony charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol, civil disorder, and four related misdemeanor offenses, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
 
Sargent pleaded guilty on June 27, 2022, to all six charges against him.
 
He and others' actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
 
According to court documents, Sargent was part of a crowd of rioters illegally on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6. At approximately 2:30 p.m., he stepped forward from the crowd and swung his open hand toward a U.S. Capitol Police Officer, making contact with the officer. Immediately afterward, another officer instructed Sargent and others, "Do not start attacking people."
 
Thirty seconds later, at approximately 2:31 p.m., Sargent again advanced toward the front of the crowd and swung his open hand toward the same officer; this time, he made contact with someone else in the crowd. In this second incident, Sargent intended to make contact with the same officer. In a social media message later, he wrote to another person, "I got two hits in on the same rookie cop … ."
 
Sargent was arrested on March 9, 2021, in Pittsfield. In addition to the term of incarceration, he was ordered to complete two years of supervised release and to pay $500 restitution and a $285 special assessment.
 
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department's National Security Division are prosecuted the case, with assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.
 
The FBI's Boston Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI's Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department
 
In the 23 months since Jan. 6, 2021, approximately 900 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 280 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
 
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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Pittsfield Company Fined for Asbestos Violations

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has issued a $17,400 penalty to Pittsfield-based Barile Environmental Inc. for asbestos violations that occurred during abatement services at an office building located at 23 Lewis Ave. in Great Barrington.  
 
MassDEP discovered the violations during inspections of the office building in October 2025. Barile failed to follow appropriate asbestos work practices and controls during its asbestos abatement activities at the building site. MassDEP inspections of the facility revealed that Barile personnel were removing asbestos-containing siding in violation of state asbestos regulations.  
 
"MassDEP enforces asbestos regulations so that management of asbestos-containing materials is completed safely," said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP’s Western Regional Office in Springfield. "This consent order requires payment of a substantial penalty and could have been avoided if the proper work practices were followed." 
 
Following MassDEP's order, Barile has completed the required cleanup actions and must pay $14,000 of the $17,400 penalty to resolve the violations. The balance of the penalty is suspended pending compliance with the remaining administrative terms of the order.  
 
Property owners or contractors with questions about asbestos-containing materials, notification requirements, proper removal, handling, packaging, storage, and disposal procedures, or MassDEP asbestos regulations are encouraged to contact the appropriate MassDEP Regional Office for assistance.  
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