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Simone Gold, MD, JD, founder of the right-wing, anti-vaccine group known as America's Frontline Doctors, pleaded today to one of the five criminal counts against her, a class A misdemeanor, in connection with her participation in the January 6, 2021, insurrection and speech in the nation's Capitol building.

U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper said her sentencing will be set in June, and she could be ordered to serve up to 6 months. Gold's plea deal includes her agreement to pay a $500 fine.

She had been facing a felony charge of obstructing a proceeding of Congress during the Electoral College ballot counts that certified President Joe Biden's election.

Gold, who was trained as an emergency physician and previously practiced in California, is one of more than 600 charged by the U.S. District Attorney for the District of Columbia for Capitol breach crimes.

She pleaded guilty to , that she "Did unlawfully and knowingly enter and remain in a restricted building and grounds, that is, any posted, cordoned-off, or otherwise restricted area within the United States Capitol and its grounds, during a time when the Vice President was in the building without lawful authority to do so."

According to her attorney, Kira Anne West, Gold pleaded guilty to standing "with a crowd outside the East Rotunda door, where she eventually entered shortly after about 2:27 p.m. along with her co-defendant John Strand. She remained inside the Capitol for about a little over half an hour. Around 2:55 p.m. she gave a speech at Statuary Hall stating her opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and government-imposed lockdowns."

West also acknowledged that "multiple law enforcement officers had to intervene before she (Gold) stopped giving her speech and left Statuary Hall."

Gold's plea deal includes her agreement to cooperate with additional investigations regarding her actions on January 6 and to be interviewed prior to her sentencing.

The other four criminal counts of which Gold was but did not enter a plea were that she:

• "Attempted to, and did, corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding, that is, a proceeding before Congress, by entering and remaining in the United States Capitol without authority and committing an act of civil disorder and engaging in disorderly and disruptive conduct."
• "Did knowingly and with intent to impede and disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business and official functions, engage in disorderly and disruptive conduct in and within such proximity to, a restricted building and grounds, that is, any posted, cordoned-off, or otherwise restricted area within the United States Capitol and its grounds, where the Vice President [and Vice President-elect] were temporarily visiting, when and so that such conduct did in fact impede and disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business and official functions."
• "Willfully and knowingly engaged in disorderly and disruptive conduct in any of the Capitol Buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, and disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress and either House of Congress, and the orderly conduct in that building of a hearing before or any deliberation of, a committee of Congress or either House of Congress."
• "Willfully and knowingly paraded, demonstrated, and picketed in any United States Capitol Building."

In documents filed this week, the court approved an unopposed prosecutors' request to amend this count and the following count to remove the reference to the then Vice President-elect Kamala Harris being in the Capitol at the time of Gold's alleged disruption, since she had left the Capitol by the time of Gold's presence. The new language restricts both count 2 and 3 to her presence at the Capitol during the afternoon, when then Vice President Mike Pence was there.

At one point during the 17-minute hearing as the judge asked "Ms. Gold" if she had used any alcohol or drugs in the last 48 hours that would impair her ability to understand the proceedings, Gold interrupted the judge, saying, "Your honor, I don't mean to -- I never go by Miss Gold. I always go by Dr. Gold, if that's okay with you."

"Okay," the judge replied. "Dr. Gold."

In pleading guilty, Gold told the court that she was giving up certain rights, such as a trial by jury, and if convicted, the right to an appeal, and depending on state laws, certain civil rights such as the right to hold public office or serve on a jury.

The federal complaint and against Gold also named John Herbert Strand, who is not a physician, as a co-defendant. MedPage Today could not determine the status of the related charges against him, and his attorney did not return calls requesting comment. According to the court calendar, a hearing is scheduled on his case for March 11.

Gold acknowledged to last year that she was the person depicted in photos and videos of the riots that the FBI had posted in calling those who breached the Capitol "wanted" individuals, but she said she didn't know that what she had done was illegal. She said, "I do regret being there."

Her organization, America's Frontline Doctors, is under investigation by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, which alleges these doctors have been profiting from peddling controversial COVID-19 treatments and spreading misinformation about the value of vaccines.

Meanwhile, several hospital organizations where Gold previously worked have disassociated themselves from Gold, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she worked briefly in a network of urgent care clinics in 2015. "Dr. Gold is not authorized to represent or speak about any information on behalf of Cedars-Sinai," the hospital said in a statement last year.

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