Despite a guilty plea and admissions of violent assault, a liberal Portland judge delayed sentencing for a far-left rioter who grabbed federal agents’ genitals.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A liberal federal judge has delayed the sentencing of a convicted violent far-left rioter who admitted to assaulting federal officers outside an immigration facility, signaling she wants additional evidence that could potentially mitigate his punishment.
U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio on Friday postponed sentencing for August Dean Gordon, 31, after requesting more information from prosecutors, including video evidence and details surrounding the rioter’s allegation that officers took a so-called “trophy photo” after his arrest.
This is despite Gordon, of Beaverton, Ore., pleading guilty in October 2025 to felony assault of a federal officer and admitting he engaged in a vicious and violent confrontation outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland in the early hours of June 29, 2025.
August Dean Gordon at a riot outside the Portland ICE facility
According to prosecutors, Gordon arrived at the scene “ready for combat,” wearing all black along with protective gear including elbow pads, chest and back padding, a helmet, goggles, and a face covering.
Surveillance footage captured Gordon forcibly damaging a keycard reader from a post at the facility’s gated entrance before attempting to flee. Federal agents identified him in the crowd and moved to arrest him.
Prosecutors say Gordon “violently struggled and resisted” officers, kicking, punching, and headbutting multiple federal agents while also grabbing several officers by the genitals.
Five officers were injured during the altercation, suffering pain, swelling, and, in some cases, bleeding. One officer reported being kicked repeatedly in the knee and shin, while another described being struck in the groin with significant force. Even after being restrained, Gordon continued to lash out, kicking officers as they attempted to secure him and place him into a vehicle, according to federal records.
In his plea agreement, Gordon admitted to the conduct, including damaging federal property and assaulting officers during the arrest. Yet despite the admissions, Baggio raised concerns about the circumstances of the arrest and appeared to scrutinize law enforcement officers' conduct.
This is not the first time the judge, who was appointed by President Biden in 2023 on the recommendation of Democrats, has appeared to show bias against the current federal government. In March, she issued an injunction banning federal officers and agents from using pepper gas and chemical munitions to deter rioters who had been attacking the facility for months.
U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio
Gordon claimed in court on April 17 that agents mocked him after his arrest and said that one agent posed for a photograph beside him. “The guy who tackled me first … got to stand next to me in a picture,” Gordon said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Nyhus, for the prosecution, denied the allegation. “It would not be okay if that were to have happened,” Baggio responded.
The judge treated the would-be sentencing hearing like a trial, pressing the prosecution for additional video evidence related to the vandalism of the card reader. “Is there video of that that I can see?” she asked after the defense argued Gordon had only removed already-damaged plastic rather than disabling the device. Nyhus said he would check whether additional footage exists.
Prosecutors have recommended a four-month prison sentence, which falls at the very low end of federal sentencing guidelines for the crime. Gordon could have faced a maximum sentence of 8 years in prison.
During a post-arrest interview, Gordon framed his actions as part of a broader ideological direct action, referencing what he described as “white supremacy,” a “Handmaid’s Tale”-style dictatorship and migrants being sold to “death camps.”
Gordon’s family also appears to be radicalized. His sister, Maddeline Suzan Gordon, was a regular at the riots, and their father confronted a conservative livestreamer outside the courthouse last week.
The judge rescheduled sentencing to May 15.
Andy Ngo is the author of the forthcoming book The Cult of Ziz: The Rise of Trans Extremism in America, a political true-crime investigation into the growing phenomenon of trans killers.
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