WASHINGTON — A former government employee pleaded guilty Friday to submitting false tips to the FBI accusing seven people of participating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Miguel Eugenio Zapata , aka Michael Zapata, pleaded guilty Friday to one felony count of scheming to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts. Because Zapata has no prior criminal convictions, he will face an estimated guideline range of 6-12 months behind bars at sentencing on Sept. 9.

“ZAPATA admits that the allegations he made in these ‘tips’ are false, that he has no reason to believe that any of the victims participated in the conduct he alleged in the ‘tips,’ and that he submitted the ‘tips’ in an effort to harass the Victims, all of whom were known to him and whom he knew to have possessed security clearances wh

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