Laura Steele biography: 13 things about US Capitol rioter from Thomasville, North Carolina

Laura Lee Steele is an American woman from Thomasville, Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. For 11 years, she worked as a police officer in High Point, North Carolina.

As a cop, Steele she served as a K-9 officer and a SWAT team member. Her husband Kenneth Steele served as a High Point Police Department assistant chief. 

Laura is 2 years younger than her brother Graydon Young of Englewood, Florida, USA. He is a member of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers. 

Having obtained her private protective services (PPS) license through the North Carolina Private Protective Services, Laura worked as a public safety officer for Novant Health, which is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Here are 13 more things about her:

1. In 1994, she was involved in a car chase that resulted in her patrol car being totaled while on duty as a High Point Police Department officer.
2. In 2001, she pepper-sprayed students in two incidents while working as a school-resource officer for the High Point Police Department. She was investigated and cleared in both incidents.
3. On January 3, 2021, she sent an email to the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers. She attached a membership application and wrote, “My brother, Graydon Young told me to submit my application to this route to expedite the process.”
4. On January 4, 2021, Young received an email from the Oath Keepers, which contained details about its members deploying to Washington, D.C., USA from January 5-6, 2021. On the same day, he forwarded the message to her.
5. On January 5, 2021, she and Young travelled from North Carolina to Washington, D.C. with several other individuals.
6. Wearing a black boonie cap, a black long-sleeved shirt and a blonde ponytail, she went to the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., USA on January 6, 2021 with Young and other members of the Oath Keepers including Sandra Parker, William Isaacs and couple Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs. That day, Donald Trump supporters breached the building while a joint session of Congress was certifying the vote of the Electoral College and affirming Joe Biden‘s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
7. On February 11, 2021, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather signed a criminal complaint filed by a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent against her, Young, Kelly and Connie.
8. On February 17, 2021, she was arrested in Kernersville, North Carolina. A 2012 Chrysler Town and County was towed from her residence in Thomasville.
9. In March 2021, she was allowed to post bond to await trial at home. She was charged via second superseding indictment on March 12, 2021 and arraigned on March 16, 2021 where she pleaded not guilty to all counts. Third superseding indictment was issued on March 31, 2021 followed by a fourth superseding indictment on May 26, 2021 and a fifth superseding indictment on August 4, 2021.
10. In September 2021, she was released from home confinement but was required to be home each day between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. On October 28, 2023, Judge Amit Mehta of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia agreed to ending that requirement and ordered mental health treatment.
11. She was charged with a seventh superseding indictment issued on January 12, 2022 followed by an eighth superseding indictment on June 22, 2022.
12. On March 20, 2023, she, Parker, Connie and Isaacs were found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, entering restricted grounds, destruction of government property and other charges cited in an eighth superseding indictment. In May 2023, her attorney Peter A. Cooper filed a motion for a new trial.
13. She was 54 years old when Cooper filed on August 12, 2023 a 10-page sentencing memo, arguing that she should be sentenced to just six months of home confinement. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 31, 2023.

If you have information about someone who participated in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, call 1-800-CALL-FBI. You may also submit relevant photos and videos to the FBI.