The most interesting of the allegations so far appear to be those against Lonnie Coffman, an Alabama man who was charged after authorities parked 11 home bombs, an assault rifle and a handgun in his truck. block from the Capitol. The lorry had sat there all morning during the pro-Trump rally, and Coffman was arrested while trying to return to the vehicle after the night.
In another frightening complaint, Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. accused of writing in text messages that he wanted to shoot house spokesman Nancy Pelosi, and took hundreds of rounds of ammunition and three guns to Washington, DC, after driving from Colorado, according to court records.
On Sunday night, authorities arrested two more men, Eric Munchel of Tennessee and Larry Rendell Brock of Texas. The pair had attracted attention online because of photos showing they were wearing body armor inside a capitol building and carrying plastic ties that could deter a person.
Munchel, who was arrested Sunday, was initially suspended by law enforcement on Jan. 6 because he was carrying a Taser for self-defense while attending the rally, according to the prosecution documents filed. recently released.
The FBI followed images of Munchel leaving the hotel without a face mask and carrying a drink just before President Donald Trump began speaking that day to his supporters.
Munchel is charged with entering the Capitol ‘s restricted premises and violent entry or disorderly conduct. He has not yet appeared in federal court in DC, where he is charged.
Lawyers describe ‘horror’ spread
As new details emerge, it has become clear that lawyers were at greater risk than was realized when the attack appeared on live television.
“What was going through my head was terrifying,” said the Democratic representative. Susan Wild told CNN’s New Day last week after she took shelter on the floor of the house.
The chief federal prosecutor in Washington, DC, Michael Sherwin, said he expected hundreds of people to be charged after the attack, and investigations may take months to fully understand .
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we find scattered links of organizations that were organized and had plans in place,” Sherwin said Sunday. “We’ve seen in some of those people we’ve named – they look almost paramilitary, right? You have the uniform, you have communication, you have all the paraphernalia. These show signs of connection and control and discipline. So I believe we are going to find those signs. “
Viral protesters also filed a charge
One of the federal defenders so far, Jacob Chansley – who used to wear the Capitol shirt or shirt, bearskin hats, face paint and horns and was caught in many images of the crowd – has already told the FBI that it came to Washington “as part of a group effort, along with other Arizona patriots, at the President ‘s request that all patriots come to DC on January 6, 2021, “according to his court documents.
Others accused of taking part in the melee, such as Hawaii Proud Boys founder Nick Ochs and Joshua Pruitt, who are featured in a video in November reportedly swearing an oath to the Proud Boys , has engaged margin groups like the Proud Boys and QAnon who have followed Trump.
Ochs, who was accused of counting illegal entry into restricted buildings or land, was released from prison Monday before his next court date.
In court in Honolulu Monday, Judge Wes Reber Porter found that Ochs had not been convicted in advance and handed over a $ 5,000 bond. Ochs’ lawyer, Myles Breiner, told CNN that Ochs was released on a “signature link,” meaning he did not have to put up any money for his release.
Ochs was arrested last Thursday at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu while returning from Washington. Investigators took his interview with CNN and a photo of a tweet written titled “Hello from the Capital lol” in their expense document.
Ochs was ordered by a magistrate judge to stay on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, where he lives, before appearing in the next court on Jan. 27 before a magistrate in Washington.
Several others who were not accused of a crime have lost their jobs for attending the rally at which Trump spoke. One man, Derrick Evans, resigned from his recently won seat at the West Virginia House of Lords after federal prosecutors filed a lawsuit. He said he took responsibility for what he did – which reportedly involved sneaking into the Capitol building and shouting “We’re in! We’re in, baby! ” A man came in and shook his hand, saying, “Welcome to Congress.”
The next steps
A number of federal defendants are expected to appear in court for initial proceedings and arrest hearings in the coming days, with more people being arrested who may appear as armed as others in the arrest. the crowd.
None of the 20 federal defendants have yet been formally identified by a grand jury, a process that is likely to give more details publicly about the seriousness of the breach.
The extensive criminal investigation is still at the earliest stages. Sherwin said Sunday that hundreds of people could be charged, while the FBI has leaked more than 40 images of people inside or around the Capitol it is seeking help to identify it.
CNN’s Andy Rose and Caroline Kelly contributed to this report.