A Mercer County man who recently pleaded guilty to his involvement in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is dead at the age of 37.

An obituary posted on the Flynn Funeral Home website says that Matthew Perna of Sharpsville died on Friday “of a broken heart”.

Perna was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. on April 1 for sentencing on charges of witness tampering, disorderly conduct, and two counts entering a restricted building or grounds.

The obituary states that Perna attended the rally to “peacefully stand up for his beliefs,” and did not break into the Capitol, but entered through an open door.

According to the obituary, Perna’s “heart broke and his spirit died”, because he was persecuted by members of the community, as well as repeated postponements in his court case.

Perna and Stephen Ayres of Champion, Ohio were each indicted on the same charges after government investigators say the two attempted to obstruct members of congress as they were certifying President Joe Biden's election and destroyed federal property in the process.

The two are among 700 people charged in connection with the incursion at the U.S. Capitol, seven of whom are from the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys.

21 News is working to learn the official cause of Perna's death.