An Army veteran armed with a knife who jumped over the White House fence and made it inside the building pleaded guilty Friday to illegal entry charges.
Omar Gonzalez, 43, pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors to charges of illegal entry with a dangerous weapon and assault. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June.
On Sept. 19, Mr. Gonzalez climbed over the fence that surrounds the White House while carrying a folding knife in his pocket. But he was able to avoid guards, run across the front lawn and make it into the executive mansion, reportedly as far as the East Room.
President Obama was not in the White House at the time, but the scandal brought to light many problems at the Secret Service and led to the resignation of agency Director Julia Pierson.
Mr. Gonzalez’s mental health has been called into question during the investigation and trial. Law enforcement officials said Mr. Gonzalez told them he wanted to warn the president that the atmosphere was collapsing.
Mr. Gonzalez is a veteran who served in the Army from 1997 to 2012, with a break from 2003 to 2005. He served in Iraq and claims to suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Phillip Swarts can be reached at pswarts@washingtontimes.com.
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