January 6 Rioters - Part XIII - Members of a Doomsday Cult (565-600)

 

MEMBERS OF A DOOMSDAY CULT

PART XIII

 

(Rioters #565-600)

First posted in January 2022.

__________ 

“His mouth spewed out a torrent of sewage, nearly enough to drown me with his lies.” 

Aristophanes

__________ 

 

The Orange God.

WITH THE ANNIVERSARY of the attack on Capitol Hill upon us, one wonders. What is the heart and soul of the attack doing today? 

We mean, of course, Donald J. Trump. 

 

Dead man walking. And voting for Trump! 

In delusional fashion, without having won a single court case or any of a number of recounts he has demanded in the last twelve months, the former president continues to shriek about how he was cheated of a second term. 

Unfortunately, millions of his followers believe against all evidence that “Loser Donald” was screwed. They have heard him insist, for example, that “5,000 dead people” voted in Georgia – and caught the implication that every single fraudulent vote went to Joe Biden. They have clearly failed to pay attention to  current events. Georgia election officials checked out the 5,000 names in question. Only four dead people “voted” in Georgia. And in at least one case the dead person cast a ballot for Trump.

The root cause of our troubles, as of today, is that Trumpism is more like a faith and facts are irrelevant. Trump’s most devoted supporters are like members of a Doomsday cult. In a poll taken in November 2021, 82% of those who rely on Fox News for information and listen to the priesthood of the cult, Carlson, Hannity, Ingraham, et. al., believe the 2020 election was stolen. 

If a person regularly watches OANN or Newsmax, the level of Jonestown belief rises to an astronomical 97%. 

 

UPDATE: In an edit of this post, on November 17, 2023, I am still able to report that 1,109 days since the 2020 election, Team Trump has never once proven, by evidence in court, that the election was stolen. 

Or even its hair mussed up. 

(Now: back to who the rioters on January 6, 2021, really were.)

* 

  “Like to be here right now. I have a fucking boner.” 

565. JOSEPH R. BIGGS: The former InfoWars staffer, and one of the guiding lights of the Proud Boys, was charged with multiple crimes, related not only to his participation in – but his planning for – the January 6 insurrection. 

At the time, CNN had noted his arrest on January 21, 2021: 

Joseph Randall Biggs, 37, of Florida was arrested Wednesday and is facing three counts – obstruction of a proceeding, entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct – for his part in the siege of the Capitol on January 6, according to the Justice Department and an FBI affidavit. The FBI described Biggs in the affidavit as an organizer for the Proud Boys.

 

Authorities say Biggs said, “This is awesome!” on livestreamed footage of rioters entering the Capitol building, according to the affidavit.

 

“Your affiant also notes that multiple individuals were photographed or depicted on videos with earpieces, including other individuals believed to be associated with the Proud Boys,” the FBI affidavit says.

 

According to Ryan J. Reilly, in another video, Biggs is heard crowing, “This is the craziest fucking day ever in American history. The people are taking the fucking Capitol back. This is insane. Man, this is awesome, man. Like to be here right now, I have a fucking boner.” 

(Sedition Hunters, p. 175.) 

 

In a superseding indictment, filed later, federal authorities had more they wanted to say about the Boys. As they noted, “The group describes itself as a ‘pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists.’” 

Whereas in previous demonstrations in D.C. in November and December of 2020, where members of the Boys had shown up in their normal “colors,” black with gold emblems clearly marking their allegiance, they had a different plan for January 6, as outlined in several emails. 

For example, on December 29, 2020, [Enrique] Tarrio [a leader of the group] posted a message on the social media site Parler1 about the demonstration planned for January 6, 2021. Among other things, Tarrio announced that the Proud Boys would “turn out in record numbers on Jan 6^th but this time with a twist… We will not be wearing our traditional Black and Yellow. We will be incognito and we will be spread across downtown DC in smaller teams. And who knows….we might dress in all BLACK for the occasion.” I believe the statement about dressing in “all BLACK” is a reference to dressing like the group known as “Antifa,” who the Proud Boys have identified as an enemy of their movement and are often depicted in the media wearing all black to demonstrations.

 

On or around the same day, BIGGS posted a similar message to his followers on Parler in which he stated, among other things, “we will not be attending DC in colors. We will be blending in as one of you. You won’t see us. You’ll even think we are you . . .We are going to smell like you, move like you, and look like you. The only thing we’ll do that’s us is think like us! Jan 6^th is gonna be epic.” I understand that BIGGS was directing these statements at “Antifa.”

 

When interviewed by federal agents later, Biggs admitted entering the Capitol Building, but said the doors were “wide open” when he did. “BIGGS denied having any knowledge of any pre-planning of storming the Capitol, and had no idea who planned it,” agents said. 

Along with three other members of the Proud Boys, Mr. Biggs found himself charged with six crimes, including the most serious, “conspiracy.” 

Also charged were Ethan Nordean (#170 on our list), Charles Donohoe (#241) and Zachary Rehl (#242). 

On June 6, 2022: Biggs was hit with an additional charge of seditious conspiracy. That is: attempting, by violence, to thwart certification of a fairly decided election. 

On May 4, 2023, after a lengthy trial, Mr. Biggs and four codefendants were convicted on multiple felony charges. 

By that point, Donohoe has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and Enrique Tarrio (#618 on our list) has been added to the indictment for seditious conspiracy.

 

On August 31, Biggs learns the second half of the expression, “Fuck Around, Find Out,” in his case. 

In asking for a very lengthy prison sentence in his case, as ABC News explains: 

[Prosecutors] pointed to increasingly threatening and violent rhetoric espoused by Biggs in the days after the November 2020 election leading up to the Jan. 6 attack – and noted that he had encouraged Tarrio to “get radical and get real men” only hours after former President Donald Trump first announced plans for his supporters to rally in Washington on the day of the certification.

 

Biggs did just that. In the end, he earned seventeen years in prison for his leading role in trying to overturn the results of a fair election – which he wrongly believed had been stolen by the Democrats. 

Trump supporter, right-winger, violent.

  

* 

“Hanging and Executing People.”

 566. MICHAEL OLIVERAS: USA Today does a nice job of explaining just who this defendant is: 

On. Jan. 8, a tipster wrote to the FBI about a Parler user: “This individual has been talking about overthrowing the government for weeks in public chat rooms pushing disinformation and talking about hanging and executing people.” The tipster said the individual also claimed to be in the Capitol on Jan. 6 and was sharing “multiple disturbing videos.” … On the day of the riot, Oliveras posted multiple videos and messages on Parler. He wore a red sweatshirt with the word “Trump” on the front, a red hat with white lettering and carried a U.S. flag.

 

A second tipster told authorities: “I first encountered him when he was inciting violence against counter-protestors at a ‘Stop The Steal’ rally at the Philadelphia Convention Center on 11/07/2020…” 

In the indictment against him, Oliveras was found to have posted a video showing that on Jan. 6, he joined in attacks on members of the free press. 

One video from OLIVERAS’s Parler account showed items believed to belong to the Press being thrown into a pile, while the video is narrated by the person filming, believed to be OLIVERAS, “That’s what happens when the fucking fake news shows up at a Patriot rally”. 

 

You might even say Oliveras was channeling a hatred of the free press repeatedly expressed by Donald J. Trump. 

In another video posted from that day, Oliveras is heard shouting, in reference to lawmakers, “Where are the fucking traitors? Drag them out by the fucking hair! Where are the fucking traitors?” 

On October 3, 2024, his journey through the courts comes to an end: Five years in prison, three more on probation, and $2,000 in restitution. He won’t be eligible to vote in the next two elections.

 

NOTE TO TRUMP FANS: Your vested interest in protecting the free press is just as great as ours. We didn’t want Donald Trump shutting down CNN or The New York Times. You don’t want Joe Biden shutting down Fox News or OANN. Luckily, for all of us, Mr. Biden has shown no inclination to shut down any news outlets. 

Nor has he ever referred to reporters as “enemies of the people” or “sick.”

 

UPDATE: Additional evidence eventually showed that Oliveras assaulted police officers that same day. On January 8, 2021, in the wake of all that violence, he posted on social media,

about his trip to Washington, D.C.: “Did we want to get our bare hands on the flesh of those who have committed treason? Yes. Would I, as one of those red blooded americans, if the opportunity presented itself, [have] grasped and removed one of those traitors? Yes.” 

He also posted, “Patriots. Are any of you discouraged. What you saw in the senate. Was precisely what we want. Insurrection acts in motion.” 

In January 2023, Oliveras agrees to a plea deal. In August, he withdrew from his agreement. 

On November 16, a jury found him guilty on…all seven charges he had faced. 

Trump supporter, violent.

 

*

 

No corner on “patriots.” 

567. KELLY MCFADDEN O’BRIEN: According to one tipster, Ms. O’Brien posted several videos outside of the Capitol Building that day, including one where she seemed to be bucking up her courage, preparatory to going inside. 

“Pray for us,” O’Brien said. 

In a later social media post, she wrote, 

Had to scrub my page, for obvious reasons. Glad some were able to see the truth of what happened. This is why it’s so important you become part of the Revolution in our fight for freedom. You must see the lies yourself to truly understand what is going on. We are at a dangerous point in our country. You must pick a side. Good or evil. Have no fear. Trump will still be our president. Trust his plan. He plays 4D chess while they play checkers.

 

Unfortunately for her, videos she posted were captured by others. At one point, she talks about where she is: 

We’re under Joe fake Biden Inaugural steps that he was supposed to be the fake president in. We’re probably about 20 feet to 40 feet from the Capitol doors. Some really brave patriots here. I’m right in the thick of it, following them up. . . I am in the front line, not the front line, but not too far back.”

 

So far, none of this would get O’Brien cuffed and placed under arrest; but federal authorities uncovered evidence placing her inside the Capitol starting around 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 6. 

It certainly didn’t help her defense, when F.B.I. agents arrived at her home, looking for a white coat O’Brien was seen wearing on the day of the attack. Her husband spilled the beans and kicked the can across the room: 

On March 30, 2021, the FBI executed a search warrant at O’BRIEN’s residence. During the search, O’BRIEN’s husband advised that the white winter coat O’BRIEN was wearing on January 6, 2021 was hung in the main floor powder room with her purse, which contained a canister of bear spray/pepper spray. Apparently after January 6, 2021, the bear spray went off, contaminating the powder room and lower level of the house. The pepper oil of the spray was all over the walls in the powder room and ruined the white coat. O’BRIEN then threw the white coat away, and her husband repainted the powder room. An inspection of the powder room revealed orange stains on the window shade and door jam, confirming O’BRIEN’s husband’s recollection of the incident. O’BRIEN’s husband confirmed that the white coat O’BRIEN was wearing in a photograph from the Phoenix Park Hotel Lobby was the same white coat that she had thrown away following the bear spray incident. Pursuant to the search warrant, the FBI also located and seized the backpack that O’BRIEN was wearing at the Phoenix Hotel and at the U.S. Capitol.

 

O’Brien’s cell phone is also traced to several locations inside the Capitol Building. In one video we hear her talk a great deal about “patriots” storming the Capitol, and “breaking down barriers,” “because once again, we own these buildings, we own this city. Our taxes bought and paid for this city.” 

I should point out that so did my taxes – and the taxes of all 81 million Americans who voted for Joe Biden. 

Also, Ms. O’Brien, your side doesn’t have a corner of “patriots,” and you were a fool. 

(On April 6, 2022, O’Brien learns in court that she will have 90 days to ponder the meaning of patriotism in jail. She has also been sentenced to twelve months on probation. Her trip to the D.C. will cost her $1,500 in fines and restitution.) 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

Not “hugging and kissing.” 

568. MASON JOEL COURSON: The 26-year-old Florida man faced eight charges, including assaulting law enforcement officers. 

He was described as a former football player at Cypress Bay High School, in Weston, Florida. When reached by phone, his mother told a reporter, “I don’t have a single comment. Sorry,” and hung up. 

The Miami New Times reported: 

In 2015, when Courson was 19, he was arrested by the Delray Beach Police Department (DBPD) for allegedly punching the owner of the now-shuttered Il Bacio Restaurant, shoving an off-duty officer, and later kicking a nurse at the medical center where he’d been taken. Police said Courson exhibited “superhuman strength” that resembled “someone high on Flakka [AKA bath salts]” and that he had been “punching” and “kicking” officers.

 

He was one of nine men charged in a single indictment, with some of the worst violence that took place during the attack. Several members of the group, including Courson, were charged with using “a baton, flag pole, and crutch,” basically, whatever came to hand, to batter police trying to hold back the mob. 

His case will not be helped by the fact that he reportedly kept the baton used to club officers as a “trophy.” 

Court documents noted that in view of the danger the defendant represented, prosecutors asked the judge in his case to keep him locked up until trial. 

The judge agreed. 

Courson plead guilty to one felony count, for assault with a deadly weapon, on March 23, 2023. 

On June 16, the hammer fell hard. Courson was sentenced to four years, nine months in prison. After that, he’ll spend three more years on probation, and he owes the U.S. Treasury $2,000. 

(If you are one of those poor dopes who still believe police let the harmless protesters walk into the Capitol that day – and that they were “hugging and kissing” the men and women defending Congress – you can read the indictment against Courson, et al., particularly pages 6-9.) 

(LIKELY TRUMP SUPPORTER.)

*

 

“Helmet…hanging over the bar like a trophy or a prize.”

569. JUSTIN JERSEY: Like Courson, Jersey faced several serious charges, including assaulting an officer of the law. His weapon of choice was a baton. Like Courson, he kept trophies from January 6 – in his case a police helmet and badge. 

The Michigan man, 31, was part of what authorities described as a “multi-assailant sustained assault” on officers defending the Capitol. His indictment reads in part: 

“Jersey grabbed Officer A.W.’s baton with one hand and reached towards Officer A.W.’s face with his other hand,” prosecutors allege in a memorandum requesting that Jersey remain in detention. “Jersey and Officer A.W. grappled over the baton for several seconds. Jersey did not succeed in taking Officer A.W.’s baton, but knocked Officer A.W. to the ground.

 

“[W]hile A.W. was on the ground, his helmet was knocked off, he was kicked by codefendant Whitton [#303 on our list], and he was dragged — by codefendants McAbee [#447] and Mullins [#261] — into the mob of rioters gathered on the Lower West Terrace,” the memo notes. “A.W. sustained significant injuries, including a laceration to his head that required staples to close.”

 

Jersey then grabbed another baton and used it to “strike at other police officers in the Archway,” the memo says.

 

As Jersey was swinging the baton, codefendant Whitton kicked at Officer A.W., struck Officer B.M. with a crutch, and – with assistance from codefendants Sabol [#85] and Barnhart [#446] — dragged Officer B.M. over Officer A.W., down a set of steps and into the crowd of rioters. There, rioters struck Officer B.M. with objects, including codefendant Stager, who beat Officer B.M. with a flagpole. McAbee then grabbed at Officer A.W.’s torso, while Mullins grabbed Officer A.W.’s leg and engaged in a tug-o war with officers who were trying to pull Officer A.W. back in to the Archway. Eventually, McAbee pulled Officer A.W. out of the Archway and the two slid down a set of stairs and into the crowd together, with McAbee on top of Officer A.W. and pinning Officer A.W. down. When Officer C.M. stepped out of the Archway in an attempt to come to the aid of Officers A.W. and B.M., he was assaulted by McAbee, then by codefendant Lopatic [#304].

 

In asking the judge to keep Jersey locked up until trial, prosecutors noted, “It seems clear that the defendant is proud of what he did. This is something he chose to memorialize at his home. The helmet found at his home was hanging over the bar like a trophy or a prize. This is not a defendant who felt much remorse or consternation.” 

The assault in question took place around 4:26 p.m., around the same time the House select panel investigating events of the Jan. 6 believes Trump allies and even his children were calling on him to call off the mob. 

Several rioters in the Archway, where this attack played out, were trampled, and “at least two rioters were in medical distress.” As officers tried to help one victim, Jersey used “a large, gnarled stick” and was told by another rioter to “knock their masks off,” referring to police.

 

The rioters drag one officer down the steps.

Officer A.W., who was dragged into the mob, remembers being “kicked, struck with poles, and stomped on by several individuals” during the melee. 

He was “maced once his mask was ripped off.” 

(Were some people in the mob that day better than others? No doubt. One person on the steps prevented further attacks, which allowed A.W. to get to his feet and retreat back into the archway.) 

Jersey can be seen in various photos from the day of the attack, wearing a University of Michigan sweatshirt. In Facebook messages the day before, Jersey was advised by a friend to “stay safe and take a small concealed club.” Prosecutors noted that he was preparing for violence. “Yeah I’ll have something w me,” he responded. 

To add to Mr. Jersey’s problems, authorities pointed out that he had a previous weapons offense on his record, and twice failed to appear in court in Genesee County, Michigan in unrelated cases. 

You can read his 25-page indictment at the blog, Law & Crime, if you like. 

Jersey was identified in part because of a “FUCK YOU” tattoo on the middle finger of his left hand. Plus, his girlfriend is said to have tagged him, and a second defendant, Trevor Brown (#394 on our list), in a compromising post on Facebook the day of the riot. 

(In September 2022, Jersey ends up taking a plea deal and in February 2023, he is sentenced. He gets 51 months in prison. He gets another 36 months on probation. And he gets hammered for $32,165.65 in restitution.)

Violent.

*

 

570. MICK CHAN: The New Jersey man admitted he was inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 – but for all the wrong reasons. 

As New Jersey.com explains: 

The charges [filed against him] say he told FBI agents he traveled to Washington, D.C. with two female friends and later gave a detailed description of his activities on Jan. 6. Among them are that he carried a “stab and poke thing” for self defense because he thought supporters of former President Donald Trump would be attacked, and later said he entered the Capitol with “journalistic intent.”

 

The FBI found no evidence that he was a member of any media on Jan. 6, 2021.

 

Later, an FBI agent wrote, “Chan explained that he called the FBI because he believed the Trump rally was infiltrated and the breach of the Capitol was carried out by members of Antifa and Black Lives Matter (“BLM”).”

 

And, on social media, he asked someone in a comment if they had “contacts” he could talk to about the “mainstream media’s” lies. “I was inside for 30 minutes and have decent footage to dispel the bs,” he wrote, according to the charges against Chan.

 

Chan might think he saw Antifa types in the crowd; at least twenty individuals on this list imagined they did; but when we dig for evidence, we find right-wingers and Trump supporters like grapes in a cluster. See for example: #571, #572, #573 and #574 on our list. 

Also, Chan, himself. 

On January 23, 2023, Chan is convicted on three counts related to his actions during the riot two years before, all misdemeanors. (He was acquitted on the most serious charge he faced.) 

He gets three months to consider his stupidity while seated in jail, a year more on probation, community service, and a bill for $500. 

Trump supporter.

(CLAIMED TO SEE ANTIFA.)

 

*

 

571. FREEDOM VY: The Pennsylvania man, and member of the Proud Boys, was arrested in December and charged with a variety of crimes related to events of Jan. 6, including “violent entry.”

 

UPDATE (September 30, 2024): He has pleaded guilty and has been gifted an all-expenses-paid trip to jail. Fifty days of free lodging and meals. Also a year on probation. And $1,000 in fines and restitution. 

Trump supporter, right-winger.

 

 

* 

572. BRIAN HEALION: Also arrested with Vy, fellow Proud Boy and Pennsylvanian, Brian Healion. 

 According to court documents…traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest Congress’s certification of the Electoral College vote for the 2020 presidential election. Healion was a member of the Ministry of Self Defense or MOSD, a hand-selected sub-group within the Proud Boys created by former Proud Boys Chairman Henry “Enrique” Tarrio as a “national rally planning” chapter.

 

In the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, court documents say that Healion knew Congress was meeting at the Capitol on January 6th to certify the votes of the 2020 Presidential Election. Healion posted a message in a chat with other members of the MOSD that said, “What time is the whole political/presidential situation happening that day? With pence and the electoral votes? And are we planning for either an unlikely joyous moment of pence [sic] growing balls?”

 

On the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Healion met with approximately 100 other members of the Proud Boys at the Washington Monument and proceeded to follow Proud Boys leadership – including Ethan Nordean and Philadelphia Proud Boys President Zachary Rehl – on a march toward the Capitol building. A few minutes later, as the group marched past U.S. Capitol Police officers at approximately 11:28 a.m., members of the group taunted them, yelling “Treason,” and warning the officers, “Don’t make us go against you.”

 

Healion and the other Boys then battled the police trying to hold a line of bicycle racks barring the mob, and by 2:53 p.m. that day, he was inside the Capitol. (He can also be seen that day, flashing the “White Power” sign for fun. 

His trip through the courts finally ends when he is sentenced to a hundred days in prison, three years’ probation, and fined $2,000. 

Trump supporter, right-winger, violent,

believed the election was stolen.

 

 

*

 

573. Isaiah Giddings: The Proud Boys and Pennsylvania are also represented by Mr. Giddings. 

He has plead guilty to one felony count.

Trump supporter, right-winger.

 

*

 “Bonked 2 cops.”

574. JAMES R. ELLIOTT: “Jim Bob,” as he calls himself, 24, came from Illinois to “stop the steal” on Jan. 6. All he got for his troubles was a felony conviction for assaulting police with a dangerous weapon. At one point he bragged about his participation in the attack and how he “bonked 2 cops.” 

He could also be seen in videos from that day, shouting encouragement to others in the mob, “Patriots, what is your occupation? Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh!” 

All in the name of saving America from imaginary commies, and cannibalistic pedophile Democrats, and stolen elections that weren’t stolen, and all the other weird permutations of Trumpian nonsense. 

Jim Bob was originally charged with five felonies. When I first tried to find out more about him, I couldn’t be positive he was a Trump fan. I kept checking, and finally learned that Jim Bob was a proud member of the Proud Boys. 

In November 2022, he accepts a plea deal. He pleads guilty on a single felony charge, agrees to cough up a $2,000 fine, and faces a recommended three-to-four years in prison at sentencing. 

He gets 37 months in the end. 

Trump supporter, right-winger, violent.

 

* 

“Trump will stay president.” 

575. LUCAS DENNEY: In December 2020, Denney, a former military police officer, started to organize his own militia, incongruously named the “Patriot Boys of North Texas.” He was excited by the prospect of heading for D.C., and helping fight to keep Donald Trump in the White House. 

Even though Donald lost the election by seven million votes. A very minor detail in the eyes of the Patriot Boys. 

Mr. Denney traveled in company with Donald Hazard (#576). Denney suggested that Hazard tell his boss he needed time off so he could do his part “saving the country from communist (sic).” 

He was immediately identified by tipsters as a participant in the riot, and before the sun set on January 6, the F.B.I. was already building a case. 

If you still have any doubt about who these people who attacked the Capitol were, Denney’s explanation for why he was going should extinguish it once and for all: 

So Trump has called this himself [he wrote to Hazard]. For everyone to come. It’s the day the electoral college is suppose to be certified by congress to officially elect Biden. But, Pence is in charge of this and he’s going to throw out all the votes from states that were proved to have fraud. There’s so much more going on behind the scenes though. That’s why he’s called this rally for support. . . . Trump will stay President . . . .That’s why I’ve been super busy. I’m the President of the Patriot Boys in North Texas and have over 200 guys. We are 3%ers. Since I’m retired from the military this is what I do mainly.

 

Denney was arrested in December 2021, and plead guilty in March 2022. In court, prosecutors noted, he had sent one message which made it clear what he expected to happen in D.C. “We are linking up with thousands of Proud Boys and other militia that will be there,” he told a friend. “This is going to be huge. And it’s going to be a fight.” 

Once the riot exploded, Denney took the idea seriously. He participated in multiple attacks on police on January 6, in one case spraying officers with bear spray, in another pummeling an officer with a heavy piece of PVC pipe. Later, he posted on Facebook, by way of cover. “It was peaceful,” he claimed. “The police even opened up the barricades to let people come closer.” 

When interviewed by federal agents in December 2021, Denney said he had seen no fights and didn’t recall “laying a finger” on anyone during his fun-filled tourist trip to the capital of the United States. 

On September 28, 2022, Denney learned that he would be spending the next 52 months in federal prison. 

He will then be required to spend three years on supervised release, and may be forced to pay restitution for any damage or injuries he caused. 

Trump “sent us,” right-winger, violent.

 

* 

“This is America, baby.” 

576. DONALD HAZARD: Hazard traveled to D.C. with his friend, Lucas Denney (#575). USA Today notes: 

A tipster told the FBI that Hazard posted a photo of himself on Facebook, “breaking into the [U.S. Capitol]” and telling people to come down and help “storm the building like a true patriot.” Federal charging documents detailed conversations between Hazard and Lucas Denney discussing the events leading up to and after the riot. The men were members of a group called the “Patriot Boys,” a self-proclaimed militia group. Denney identified himself as the president and appointed Hazard as the sergeant at arms, saying he was buying him tripes to wear [on Jan. 6] in addition to a helmet, vest and other gear. Denney also said they were buying police-grade pepper spray from the Fort Worth police store.

 

At one point, he posted a video, exclaiming, “We’re here at the nation’s capitol and we’re storming it.  We’re taking the Capitol. . . This is America baby.” 

A reporter also caught him on camera, as he marched to the Capitol. “Make sure you get my face and everything on your news channel,” Hazard demanded. “I want the enemy to know exactly who is coming after them.” 

During a confrontation with police, Hazard and one officer fell on a set of concrete steps, and the officer was knocked cold. 

In February 2023, Hazard pled guilty, knowing he faced a lengthy stint in prison. On May 19, 2023, on the 927th day since the election was held, Hazard was sentenced to spend the next four years and nine months behind bars. He won’t be out in time to vote in 2024. And unless Donald Trump wins next time and grants him a pardon, Hazard will also miss the vote in 2028. 

Prosecutors noted that Hazard was “eager for violence” on that day of infamy, wearing a tactical vest and a helmet decorated with the Confederate battle flag. 

As the Associated Press explains: 

After marching to the Capitol, Hazard clashed with officers who were trying to hold off the mob near scaffolding on the northwest side of the building. Hazard grabbed a Capitol police officer and pulled him down a set of concrete steps, knocking him unconscious. That officer was treated for a concussion and foot injuries that required multiple surgeries, according to prosecutors.

 

Hazard also fell on another Capitol police officer whose head hit the concrete. Hazard and Denney, both wielding what appeared to be canisters of pepper spray, confronted other officers on the west side of the Capitol.

 

Hazard briefly entered the Capitol before police pushed him and other rioters out of the building.

 

“When he reached the exterior steps, Hazard raised his arms in a gesture of victory,” [prosecutors] wrote.

 

And…he also has to pay $2,000 in restitution. 

Trump “sent us,” right-winger, violent.

 

*

 

Okay with civil war. 

577. RACHEL MYERS: The defendant was identified by F.B.I. agents as a participant in the riot partly from a backpack she wore during the attack/ It bore the logo from Delilah’s, a strip club in Philadelphia where she worked. 

Myers, Michael Gianos and Larry Stackhouse have all been charged with participating in the January 6 mayhem. According to one tipster, Ms. Myers was “a very fanatical supporter of President Trump.” 

Another tipster shared a screenshot of a post from some weeks earlier, in which Myers said she was okay with civil war. The trio shared messages in the weeks after the election and discussed their belief that the election was stolen. One tweet from Trump claimed it was “statistically impossible” for him to have lost the election. 

That was true, of course, if you allowed Trump to make up statistics, which he did in flocks and by the bushel. 

To get a sense of who she is and what she believed (and may well still believe), on social media, Myers posted two days after the attack, “Girl I was there Wednesday, and NO RIOT ever happened. The media are absolute liars. The cops opened those doors for everyone to walk right into the Capitol.” 

She also messaged to another Facebook user: “Pence is a deep state traitor !!!!” Just as the prophet of the cult had indicated. 

In October 2022, Ms. Myers pled guilty to a single misdemeanor related to her role in the riot. 

(Let’s hope she didn’t lose her job at the strip club.) 

The bill for being a dope, in Ms. Myers’ case comes to two years of probation, 60 hours of community service (hopefully with her clothes on), and $500 in restitution. 

Trump supporter, believed in “stolen election.”

 

* 

578. MICHAEL GIANOS: Gianos, 33, was charged with two crimes, accusing him of illegally entering the Capitol. He was arrested on Dec. 1, 2021, along with a friend, Rachel Myers, 30, of Philadelphia (#577). 

Their case grew out of the investigation of Lawrence Stackhouse [#321], who was arrested last March. 

Gianos later texted with multiple people following the riot, including messages like, “Yeah bro s--- got wild man” and “took over the capital.” 

Another Trump fan goes to court – gets convicted – and pleads guilty, on April 30, 2023. 

In the end, his sentence is light: a month on home confinement, and a court order to complete community service. 

(If you’d like to see police “letting” rioters enter the Capitol, you can watch the following video.) 

Trump supporter, believed in “stolen election.”

 

* 

“At peace with death.” 

579. Michael Tyler Roberts: Mr. Roberts was identified back in 2021, but not arrested until November 2023, in part, because his name kept coming up during the trial of Ronald Colton McAbee (#447 on our list). 

Roberts is accused of climbing over other rioters in the jammed tunnel entrance, where the worst battle on January 6 took place. From that perch he could get closer to police lines and grab at their shields and face masks. A photograph shows him atop other members of the mob. And he’s not exactly a svelte gentleman. 

To say that the defendant fit perfectly the MAGA profile is an understatement. First, at the time of the riot, he had COVID, which he called the “China virus,” and was supposed to be isolated, but decided to help storm the Capitol, instead. 

Second, the wore a red MAGA sweatshirt. 

Third, he was ready for violence, while believing he was doing his patriotic duty that day. Comments he made on social media include: 

“I’m at peace with death and what I might have to do.” 

“I had to tell my son before I left home ‘Listen, son, I’m doing this for you. Daddy may not come home.’ But that’s okay. I’ll stand in the gap so he doesn’t have to.” 

He said he didn’t think he’d be arrested, despite jumping on the police, because he was “exercising my 1st First Amendment.” 

He later predicted, “Trump will be the one inaugurated.” 

Last, but definitely not least, he ordered a set of brass knuckles to take with him to Washington D.C., so he could be ready to fight. 

On June 17, 2024, Roberts takes a plea deal and admits to assaulting police. Daddy is going to be talking to his son on a prison phone soon. 

What a sad waste.

Roberts joins the attack.

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

*

 

Staking out government offices looking for voter fraud.

 

580. MATTHEW JAY WEBLER: In a video he posted on social media, Mr. Webler, 42, says he was inside the Capitol. In his own film, he’s wearing a tasteful “Q” flag draped round his neck.

 

In one Facebook post he explains that he was “proud for not getting caught up too much and having the sense to stand up to someone trying to vandalize the place. Missed the guy taking ‘souvenirs’ though.”

 

Webler, a metro Atlanta building contractor, had previously posted on January 6, 2021, “It’s my birthday, and it’s the best one ever.”

 

As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes, he has a criminal history, having spent a total of six years in prison for burglary and auto theft, among other charges.

 

Even better, he’s been working for the conspiracy nuts – trying to help steal an election for Trump.

 

Webler was apparently deeply caught up in baseless conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 presidential election. Shortly before going to Washington, D.C., Webler gave an interview to NTD News saying he staked out government offices looking for evidence of voter fraud.

 

“I have been involved with helping Lin Wood and Sidney Powell try find all the information that we can,” Webler said in the video published Dec. 28, 2020.

 

Webler said he conducted overnight surveillance on what he described as a “official election warehouse.”

 

(Sentenced to spend 45 days in jail.)

 

Trump supporter, QAnon, believed the “stolen election.”

 

* 

581. PAUL LEE SEYMOUR SR.: Dad and son drove from Ohio to D.C. to listen to Trump speak on January 6. Dad has admitted being inside the Capitol, and a photograph shows him posing with his son. 

He agreed to plead guilty to a single charge in May 2022, and got off with a year’s probation in November that year. 

Trump supporter.

 

*

“Non-violent army.” 

582. PAUL LEE SEYMOUR JR.: Jr. was seen destroying property in videos taken inside the Capitol Building during the attack. Both men were charged with violent entry, among other offenses, and could have faced hefty fines and jail time of as much as a year. Jr. told authorities he and Dad were inside for about an hour. 

Dad told authorities, separately – hey – only nine minutes! In any case, like father, like son. Jr. also plead guilty to a single misdemeanor, hopefully bringing the Seymour family’s life of crime to an end. 

Jr., who carried a Trump flag on that day, ends up getting a year on probation, just like his dad. Both get hit with $500 bills for restitution; and both get stuck on probation. 

In court, before sentence was handed down, Paul Jr. said his ignorance “was inexcusable.” The judge called father and son part of a “non-violent army” that gave added power to the worst elements of the mob. 

Trump supporter.

 

*

Fourteen ounces of meth. 

583. BRENT HOLDRIDGE: Mr. Holdridge already had a probation officer before his arrest on charges of participating in the Capitol Hill attack. 

The defendant, 56, from Eureka, Oregon, was seen in photos, inside the building. “In some of the stills supporting the agent’s findings, the suspect can be seen holding a flag styled with motifs sympathetic with the Blue Lives Matter movement, such as a Punisher skull filled in with a ‘thin blue line’ design.” 

It’s ironic, really, that Blue Lives Matter to Holdridge now, considering a string of previous arrests. For example, 

A December 22, 2017 press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office detailed the arrest of Holdridge and another man at the Bear River Casino parking lot while on felony searchable probation. A search of their room led to a deputy finding a .22 revolver, 3.5 ounces of heroin, 14 grams of meth, 21 pounds of marijuana, 31 grams of concentrated cannabis and 37 Hydrocodone pills.

 

In February 2020, police raided Holdridge’s apartment and “found 62 pounds of cannabis, 14 ounces of meth and equipment to manufacture cannabis concentrates. A search on a Fortuna storage unit leased by Holdridge found more cannabis and military-style body armor.” 

So, not your typical Trump supporter, but not an upright citizen by any means. According to one website, Holdridge was hiding his drugs, in the most recent case, behind a mirror that disguised a hidden shelf space. 

I looked over the record of his arrest, but I cannot find anything definitive in regard to his political allegiance. He did, however, buy a pro-Trump flag from a vendor, at the “Stop the Steal” rally earlier that day. 

(In July 2022, he pleads guilty to a single misdemeanor charge, adding to his already impressive criminal record. In January 2023, he gets more bad news: 60 days in jail, a $500 fine, and three years on probation. 

(LIKELY TRUMP SUPPORTER.)

 

* 

584. JEFFREY HUBBARD: Hubbard, also from Oregon, is seen in photos inside the Capitol, joining in as the crowd chants, “Stop the Steal!’’ and “We Want Trump” 

Let’s pretend for a moment that Hubbard is some sort of Antifa or F.B.I. plant, as some on the right would love to have us believe. Are all those other rioters inside, chanting, not Trump fans? 

Ha, ha. The only way you might believe that was if you thought Hubbard was a ventriloquist, and all the others were dummies. Whereas they were Trump’s dummies for sure. 

At one point, Hubbard is said to shout, “Break it down,” as rioters reach the door of the U.S. House of Representatives. 

He pled guilty and in February 2023, he was sentenced to spend 45 days in jail, cough up $1,000 for his sins, and complete three additional years on probation. 

Trump supporter, believed in “stolen election.”

  

* 

585. Adam Villarreal: Villarreal crossed the country from California to D.C., just to join (allegedly) in what became a riot. In the all-out battle for the tunnel, that day, he is accused of throwing a wooden stick or pole at police, pushing against them, all while holding what appears to be a stolen police shield. 

Or, as the Statement of Facts in his case explains: 

When reviewing the footage, VILLARREAL can be seen in the tunnel within the crowd of people who were stopped by officers. Throughout the video, police officers can be seen being pushed, punched, and assaulted with, amongst other items, chemical spray by the group. Most of this video shows VILLARREAL at the front of the large crowd. … In the video at approximately 4:40,4 VILLARREAL is seen at the front of the group facing the officers. He is seen moving his arm backward to gain momentum (Image 5) then throwing his arm forward while releasing a wooden stick which strikes United States Capitol Police Department (USCP) Sergeant A.G. (Image 6).

 

Later, he uses a police shield members of the mob have wrested from an officer and tries to pound other Capitol defenders with it.As of August 17, 2023, Villarreal, who has connections to California, Oregon, Washington State, and Oklahoma, is still on the run. 

(LIKELY TRUMP SUPPPORTER; NOT DEFINITIVE.)

 

*

 

586-587. Jared Kastner and LUKE FAULKNER: These two fall into a new category of suspects, after the F.B.I. begins using raw cell phone data to locate phone numbers that indicate unauthorized individuals were inside the Capitol during the riot. 

The friends are also alleged to have shown up in photos, inside the building, during the attack. 

Various rioters have been busted because of their distinctive looks – a tattoo, a certain white coat – or in Kastner’s case, reddish mutton chop sideburns and beard. A witness, who saw the men during their stay at an apartment complex in North Beach, Maryland, told federal agents that Kastner and an unnamed relative told him/her on the day of the riot, they were headed into D.C. “to attend the Trump rally.” 

Both men were arrested on December 8, arraigned on December 22, and pleaded not guilty.  

On December 28, the Springfield News reported that “Kastner is an employee with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, according to a AFLCM spokesman. He remains employed there as of Tuesday.” 

Channel 9 News showed up at his house to ask about his arrest. Standing in the doorway, Kastner proclaimed his innocence. “I don’t want to be portrayed as if I had a plan to do nefarious acts,” he said. “I was more or less just a bystander and there to observe. There’s nothing that I did that I really feel was wrong.” 

Sadly, for Mr. Faulkner, leads from an investigation into Mr. Kastner’s participation quickly led to his doorstep and he was placed under arrest. Cell phone data, procured through a search warrant, then placed Faulkner inside the Capitol, too. 

Both men were freed after their arrest, without being required to post bond. So, there’s that. 

Faulkner has since plead guilty to one misdemeanor, which nets him 30 days on house arrest, 60 hrs. of community service, $500, etc. 

(BOTH: LIKELY TRUMP SUPPORTERS.)

 

*

 

“I got arrested for supporting Trump.” 

588. (R.I.P.) Roy Nelson Franklin: Mr. Franklin, 65, from Illinois, first showed up in our searches, in a story about Thomas B. Adams Jr. 

Adams (#484 on our list) told a reporter he was proud to be in D.C. on January 6, to support President Trump and do his mite to “stop the steal.” 

Following his arrest in December, Franklin told the Chicago Sun-Times, “I got arrested for supporting Trump.” 

“I admit I was there, and I am proud of the fact that I was there, and stood up for a cause that I believed in,” Franklin told authorities prior to his arrest. “I have no problem with that. It was not about Trump; it was about stealing the election.” 

If you gave Franklin a cup of purple Kool-Aid, he’d gulp it down without bothering to ask questions. 

(He was first checked out by F.B.I. agents just two days after the riot, but not arrested until December 30, 2021.)

 

UPDATE: Mr. Franklin died from lung cancer, at age 67, in October 2023. He had previously pleaded innocence. 

Trump supporter, believed in “stolen election.”

* 

Lyin’ Granny? 

589. REBECCA LAVRENZ: The Statement of Facts in the Denver, Colorado woman’s case reads, in part, 

On April 26, 2021, FBI agents conducted a consensual interview with LAVRENZ at her home. She admitted traveling to Washington, D.C. to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally on the mall and, on January 6, 2021, following the crowd to the U.S. Capitol building. As she approached the U.S. Capitol from the east, LAVRENZ observed physical barriers indicating that the U.S. Capitol building grounds were a restricted area.

 

As the crowd grew, LAVRENZ observed people getting into physical confrontations with police, pushing on the barriers as the police pushed back. She saw a woman get injured in the exchange. When a man finally succeeded in pushing past a barrier and entering the U.S. Capitol LAVRENZ observed that none of the police officers chased him. When the crowd eventually pushed aside the barriers, allowing people to stream through the main door of the U.S. Capitol on the East side, LAVRENZ followed and entered as well.

 

LAVRENZ stated that she spent approximately ten minutes inside the U.S. Capitol and described her path as roaming from the east center entrance to the Rotunda and back, exiting through the same door she entered.

 

She has been charged with a pair of misdemeanor offenses.

 

UPDATE: Right-wingers have played up Lavrenz as the “praying grandmother,” and like to howl about how she could spend a year in prison. In fact, she entered the Capitol soon after the mob busted out windows in a door to the Rotunda, and followed the other idiots inside. Less than three minutes after the video (below) was filmed, granny had entered the building – I guess, to pray to overturn the fair results of the election. 

(Video here.)

 

UPDATE #2: Granny has made a pretty good business out of her arrest, and has allegedly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through social media to pay for her legal expenses, and maybe a few other fringe benefits. As for the idea that she and other rioters were “led on” to attack, even she has discounted that line of Trump Orange-colored BS. In fact, the crowd got “riled up,” she has said, after she and the other loyal dopes (the blogger said that about the dopes, not grandma) realized Vice President Pence wasn’t going to just overturn the U.S. Constitution. 

She didn’t say that, either. She did make clear that Pence’s decision was the match that lit the fire. 

Also, “Lyin’ Granny” might be a more apt nickname for Lavrenz. At trial she perjured herself five times. She said she didn’t know how the bike racks in front of the Capitol were knocked down. She said that no police officers tried to block her from entering the East Plaza, and didn’t hear a flash bang device that exploded just a few feet away from where she stood. Finally, she said no officers tried to bar her path into the building, and said she saw no violence. 

The judge in her case is not amused. He doesn’t send granny to the slammer, but does place her on probation, and charge with paying $103,500 in fines and restitution. She says it’s “a miracle” she didn’t go to prison. 

She probably needs to repent for all her lying, however.

Trump supporter.

* 

590. AVERY MACCRACKEN: The 68-year-old from Colorado was arrested on December 21, 2021, charged with punching a police officer in the eye during the riot. MacCracken  assaulted a second officer moments later. 

According to police in Telluride, where MacCracken resides, they have had frequent contacts, as he is “oftentimes homeless and lives out of his vehicle.” 

The suspect did, however, manage to purchase a ticket to Washington D.C., arriving on January 3, and remaining till January 9, when he flew home. He was indicted on multiple charges, including one of “civil disorder.” He had, one Colorado police official explained, been “in and out of jail” for years. 

Mr. McCracken conduct on that terrible January day was described in court documents like this: 

During the civil unrest that ensued, a male individual (AFO-387) – later identified as Avery MacCracken, as set forth above – approached Officer J.G. and engaged in physical contact, assaulting Officer J.G. with pushes, shoves, and a strike to the face. Specifically, MacCracken punched Officer J.G. with his closed fist in the right cheek, causing a cut to the face under his right eye. Officer J.G. took a selfie-pic of his injuries and provided self-aid; he did not seek other medical care.

 

And why was Mr. MacCracken in D.C. that day? He was there to back his man, Donald Trump, to protest the certification of the electoral votes. To do what he could to “stop the steal” that had never actually taken place. 

In his case, on October 20, 2023, he admits to one felony count, and now must ponder a lengthy stay in jail. 

It could have been worse. In May 2024, he is sentenced to serve a year and a day in prison, to spend three additional years on probation, and cough up $2,000 in restitution. 

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

 

* 

Daniel, leave the kids at home! 

591. DANIEL SHAW: The California man drove a long way to get arrested – and he’s not exactly the kind of guy you want to see behind the wheel to begin with. At the time of the riot, Shaw was unemployed, and still on probation, related to a drunk driving incident in 2017. In the wreck, Shaw suffered serious injuries, while also transporting a minor child in his vehicle. 

For that mistake, he was awarded ninety days in jail. 

Court records, pertaining to the attack on January 6, show he was inside the Capitol for fourteen minutes – long enough to get charged with a pair of misdemeanors. And, yet again, he brought along a minor! 

He was accompanied by his teenage son. The boy’s image is redacted in dad’s indictment, likely because he’s a minor. Dad was exposed by another rioter, Kenneth Reda (#411 on our list). 

Prior to that attack, Shaw admitted to Reda, “I have no idea what to expect. I have heard that A LOT of special ops guys active and retired are attending looking for any trouble makers lol. Fun is going to be an understatement I think!” He also told Reda he thought many of the lawmakers needed to be made examples of – hinting, it would seem, at violence or hanging. 

Or noogies? 

On his Facebook page, later, poor Shaw posted, “Trump won 2020. I was arrested in December for being at January 6. I believe in the Constitutional Republic. 1A 2A let’s take it back!” 

In November 2022, he plead guilty to one misdemeanor charge and awaits sentencing. 

He has since compared what happened on January 6, to a “religious revival.” And, most recently, he posted on social media, that the attack was an “inside job” and that Nancy Pelosi was somehow involved. He also told federal agents that he had “unregistered to vote” in the wake of the attack because voting “wasn’t worth it.” Agents added, “He said it was not worth getting arrested and [that he was] grateful about how the FBI executed their warrants for his arrest at his Probation office rather than early in the morning at his home.” 

The cost of his stupidity is steep – considering we still have no evidence of any significant voter fraud in 2020. He gets 10 days in jail, two more years on probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $500 fine. 

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

 

* 

“Followed then-President Trump’s instructions.” 

592. DANEAN KIMBERLY MacANDREW: MacAndrew traveled across the country to do her little part to “stop the steal.” In her talks with federal agents, she admitted she made the trip 

to hear President Trump speak on January 6. She said she marched to the Capitol after the speech. She claimed Capitol police were letting people into the Capitol building and she thought it was okay to go inside the building. MACANDREW stated that she walked around inside the Capitol building for a few minutes and then exited when Capitol police told people they had to leave.

 

On February 22, she posted a picture from the day of the riot, showing a man in a gas mask, hair sticking out on all sides, and claimed, “We were infiltrated. This is not MAGA. Share this.” 

That same day, she was warned by a friend that she needed to be careful about what she posted. Federal agents would surround her house and carry her off to jail. She responded, “Thank you. I know. I am expecting it. I was scared of it for weeks, so I didn’t post my videos. I finally stood up for truth. When I did, I wasn’t scared anymore.” 

Pour another cup of purple drink for the lady. 

She was charged with a pair of misdemeanors and convicted in January 2023. The judge in her case found that MacAndrews “followed then-President Trump’s instructions” that day and went to the Capitol to obstruct the certification of the electoral votes, which would put Joe Biden in the White House. 

Now, having been sentenced, Ms. MacAndrew can ruminate on her fate for the next three months in jail, and then for two more years on probation. 

Trump supporter.

* 

593. ALEXIS BUSTOS: The two brothers, Alexis, and Bryan (#594) flew from California to Washington D.C. on American Airlines on Jan. 3. Both brothers later posted pictures of themselves inside the Capitol. 

Both  faced four charges and were released on recognizance bonds. Both have pleaded guilty. Both will be on probation for the next twenty-four months, and both brothers get a bill for $500 in restitution. 

(POLITICAL AFFILIATION NOT KNOWN.) 

 

* 

594. BRYAN BUSTOS: Mr. Bustos may have been inside the Capitol for no more than eleven minutes. 

Still enough to get charged with a crime – and likely end up with a fine and some term of probation. 

He is seen in several videos from that day, inside the building, always carrying an American flag.

 

UPDATE: My prediction regarding his punishment proves correct, Bryan pleads guilty, and he receives the same sentence as Alexis, above. 

(POLITICAL AFFILIATION NOT KNOWN.)

 

*

A knot on his head the next day. 

595. GREGORY LAMAR NIX: The Alabama man was arrested on November 10, 2021, and indicted on November 17. 

A grand jury found cause to charge him with eight offenses, including assault, destruction of property, and using a deadly weapon. 

According to the indictment against him, Nix first turned up during the investigation of another possible rioter, who said it was known to him/her that Nix had briefly entered the Capitol building. 

In fact, Nix, 52, turned out to have been one of the first rioters inside, remaining for two hours. He used the end of a flagpole to bang on a locked door before entering. When police confronted him, he struck one officer in the head with the pole, causing him to have a knot on his head the next day. Moments later, Nix tried to break the windows to the door with what looked on surveillance footage like a police baton. Once the doors opened, Nix and others poured through. 

In December 2022, he pleads guilty. 

On June 2, 2023, he learns his sentence. Three years and six months in prison, two more years’ probation, and $2,000 in restitution.

(LIKELY TRUMP SUPPORTER.)

 

* 

“Stupid and immature,” with a sawed-off shotgun bonus. 

596-597. RAFAEL RONDON and MARYANN MOONEY-RONDON: Rafael and his mother were originally hit with a list of seven different charges. 

USA Today reported: 

On the same day [Rafael] Rondon was charged with participating in the Capitol riot with his mother, Maryann Mooney-Rondon, he was also charged with possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun at his residence. In an interview with the FBI, Rondon said they went to the Capitol to have their voices heard.

 

The charge related to the sawed-off shotgun alone could have landed the son in jail for up to ten years. 

A second charge related to the theft of a laptop from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office. 

As for mom, I’ll let USA Today do the honors in telling her story: 

Mooney-Rondon and her son entered the Capitol at about 2:23 p.m. and made it up to the suite of offices for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in about 9 minutes, the FBI stated in charging documents. Videos show her advising someone who was picking up a laptop off the table in that office to put on gloves, and she later admitted to the FBI that she provided the gloves, the documents stated. In an interview with the FBI, she said the man who was taking the laptop scared her. By 2:42 p.m., she and her son were in the Senate Gallery overlooking the Senate floor. Theft charges stem to a video which showed them carrying emergency escape hoods with satchels that were kept in the Capitol for members of Congress and staff. Each cost about $235.

 

After serving a search warrant in June, the FBI found jackets the pair were wearing in the videos, as well as the escape hood bags.

 

When not storming the halls of Congress, Ms. Mooney-Rondon operates a medical billing company with her husband, Chris. 

(On December 5, 2022, Rafael Rondon pleads guilty. His mom has a separate hearing regarding a plea deal.) 

(On March 27, 2023, after agreeing to a set of stipulated facts, mom is found guilty on felony charges, including theft of government property.) 

(In July 2023, Rafael learns that he will be spending 14 months in prison, related to possession of the unregistered, sawed-off shotgun.) 

(In November 2023, the judge in charge of mom and son’s sentencing cuts them both a break, calling their actions on January 6 “stupid and immature.” Mom gets a year of home incarceration, four additional years on probation, and must pay $11,157.51 in fines and restitution. Her boy will spend 18 months on house arrest – after he gets out of prison on the shotgun conviction. He also owes $2,000, and must complete 350 hours of community service.)

(In May 2024 – without objection -  court agrees that mom can go outside every day, for an hour, to work in her garden.) 

Trump supporter (son).

Trump supporter (mom).

 

*

He came to D.C. to protest – and left D.C. as a felon. 

598. MICHAEL DICKINSON: Dickinson, 30, was hit in the face, possibly by a rubber bullet, during the mayhem of Jan. 6. When a tipster contacted the F.B.I. on Jan. 9, he/she indicated Dickinson was in the hospital. 

In video from the riot, Dickinson is seen throwing a coffee tumbler and hitting a police officer in the face or chest. 

Other evidence showed Dickinson picking up a large bucket filled with liquid and throwing it at police defending the Capitol. 

In July 2022, he agreed to a plea deal, admitting to one felony, with sentencing guidelines indicating he might expect to spend 24-30 months in prison. The deal further requires Dickinson to pay a fine of $2,000, and holds him responsible for any injuries done to victims of his attacks. 

He came to D.C., he said, to protest certification of the electoral votes, and, in a sense, he left a felon. 

In a plea for leniency, a relative notes that Dickinson had already suffered quite a bit, having had to have his jaw wired shut, after he was hit with a rubber bullet. He only went to D.C. because he wanted to be “part of the positive change he was hoping for.” 

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

 

*

Fined $5,500. 

599. FRANK SCAVO: Mr. Scavo, a resident of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, went all out for Trump. He chartered busses for 200 of the MAGA faithful to go to the capital on January 6. After filming himself inside the Capitol Building, he got busted by the feds. 

For his efforts, he got sixty days in jail and had to pay $5,500 in fines and restitution, for damages caused. 

To trace the arc of Mr. Scavo’s criminal behavior, you have to trace the arc of Donald J. Trump’s encouragement of same. In an interview with Scavo and his lawyer, federal agents explain:

 

During the interview, SCAVO stated that he was a supporter of President Trump and that a friend of his who is also a Trump supporter inquired about going to Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, to attend the rally Trump had announced. According to SCAVO, as word got around, a large group of people in the Old Forge area also expressed interest in traveling to Washington. SCAVO decided to charter buses due to the amount of people interested.

 

SCAVO admitted traveling to Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, and that after he heard Vice President Pence was not going to contest the election results, he eventually made his way to the Capitol. According to publicly viewable information on Facebook, at 1:26 p.m. on January 6, 2021, a Facebook account with the screenname “Frank Scavo” and featuring a picture of SCAVO in its cover photo posted a message reading, “V.P. PENCE FAILS AMERICA . . . .”

 

At one point, in a video, he made on that day, “SCAVO can also be heard in the hallway saying, ‘God bless America!’ and joining chants of ‘Treason,’ and ‘Defend the Constitution, defend your liberty!’” 

He has been sentenced to 60 days in jail, fined $5,000, and ordered to pay an additional $500 restitution. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

Roy Epps – the right-wing bugaboo of January 6. 

600. Ray Epps: One of my conservative Facebook friends (now an infuriated ex-friend) long insisted that the rioters on January 6 were a collection of left-wing types, and F.B.I. plants, who encouraged the attack to damage the image of MAGA Nation. 

Indeed, Epps could be seen in videos from the previous day, encouraging people to enter the Capitol on January 6, but to do it “peacefully – peacefully.” 

(In fact, on the day of the attack, he tried to calm Ryan Samsel, #188 on our list, down.)

 

We also know, he believed President Trump’s lies – that the election was stolen. (Hint: It wasn’t.) 

Yet for a long time he was not arrested!! In Trumpistan, this was thought to prove something important. Almost as if Scavo, (#599) and other members of the cult didn’t decide to attack of their own volition. 

Rep. Thomas Massie tried to make that same abstruse point. When he had a chance, soon after the attack, to question Attorney General Merrick Garland about the events of that day – and possible plants in the crowd – he inquired as to how many federal agents might have been mixed in with the throng. Garland replied that the DOJ does not comment on pending investigations. 

This also apparently proved something BIG! As if all the right-wing Proud Boys listed above (for example: #571, #572 and #573) didn’t control their own two feet and ten toes when they marched on the Capitol. 

On January 8, 2021, the F.B.I. removed Epps from its “persons of interest list,” but as of July 13, 2023, when I updated my post, he had not been arrested. According to The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, it was easy enough to find Epps, relaxing on his ranch near Phoenix, Arizona. When asked if he had any connection to the F.B.I., Epps yelled at reporters to “get off his property.” 

Nevertheless, when I checked one right-wing website, The Revolver, I discovered that Epps was the supposed linchpin “to unlocking the question of active federal involvement in the so-called ‘Capitol Siege’ of January 6.” Out of thousands of protesters that day, they plucked Epps, and labeled him the “only person nailed dead to rights confessing on camera to plotting a pre-planned attack on the Capitol.” 

(Anyone who reads my posts knows that’s not even remotely true.) 

 

And did we mention? He was not under arrest!!! That was the big right-wing “get” to the story. So, I tried tracking down some of their proof, but almost nothing the right has to say relates to the Capitol Hill riot, though the apologists for MAGA Nation insist that where you see one F.B.I. plant there must be others, like “roaches.” 

(As it turns out, he was not arrested, because he turned himself in on Jan. 8, 2021.) 

 

Talk of killing Whitmer that night. 

One or two examples may suffice, as to why I remain unconvinced. When I check a link The Revolver provides about the F.B.I. using twelve informants to infiltrate a “tiny ‘right-wing’ Michigan militia plot” (to kill Gov. Whitmer) I learn that in the article they cite, the twelve informants were used to “infiltrate groups [plural] of armed extremists.” 

Sounds like a good idea to me. 

When I check further, I learn that the Michigan Militia, just one of those groups, at its height in the 90s, claimed thousands of members. Today, the state remains a hotbed of right-wing extremism. Many members have a penchant for Nazi and white-supremacist symbols. I’ll just say: They’re not my favorite kind of people. I hope the F.B.I. is keeping tabs. 

I check another link. In this case The Revolver wants us to believe a claim that the car which was driven to “case” Gov. Whitmer’s home was filled with “two homeless patsies,” and “three secret Feds.” I go to that link, and what I get is this. Two paragraphs listed from what would appear to be a federal indictment. If it were me, I’d want to see the entire indictment. 

Also, I can’t help but notice: Paragraph 30 mentions that three vehicles were involved, and there was talk of killing Whitmer that night. 

Why anyone would think that looking at only the passengers in one of the vehicles proved an important point, is enough to baffle me. 

 Still, I think we can all agree that we don’t want governors assassinated, no matter from which party they might be. 

Is Epps proof of anything, besides the fact Epps was there at the Capitol on January 6, and smart enough NOT to enter the building? As long as he remained outside almost anything he said would be protected free speech, unless he said protesters should kill – say – Mike Pence. 

As of September 30, 2023, when I update this post, 815 rioters have been convicted for crimes committed during the January 6 insurrection.  

Ray Epps is the 815^th. 

Nor, as a group, did these poor fools need to be led to riot by anyone. At least 50 arrestees are Proud Boys. Dozens believed in QAnon, hundreds in the myth of the “Stolen Election.” As of September 20, we are 1,051 days past the 2020 election. Still: No significant voter fraud has been proven in any local, state, or federal court.  

Zero. 

* 

IN March 2023, after Tucker Carlson resurrected claims that Mr. Epps led other rioters on, a lawyer for Epps issued a warning, demanded a retraction, and asked the courts to require Fox News to start saving documents. 

One never knows, until one knows how the courts rule. But I’d be willing to bet that Epps can sue and win, long before Tucker can prove he’s peddling anything other than conspiracy nonsense. 

Fox has already been hammered for lying about a “Stolen Election” in one court case, and must fork over $787.5 million in damages. And Tucker was one of the most prolific liars cited in that case.

 

* 

ON April 21, 2023, Fox News bites the bitter bullet and fires Carlson, at that time, its most popular evening host. 

 

“A loyal Fox viewer who was duped.” 

In July, Mr. Epps filed a defamation case against the network. On the facts known at this date, the blogger would predict he will win, just as Dominion did, and as Abby Grossberg did, a producer on Carlson’s show. 

The New York Times explains: 

“Just as Fox had focused on voting machine companies when falsely claiming a rigged election, Fox knew it needed a scapegoat for January 6th,” the [defamation] complaint says. “It settled on Ray Epps and began promoting the lie that Epps was a federal agent who incited the attack on the Capitol.”

 

Once Fox aired the story, and focused on Epps again and again, it spread like cancer online. True or not, the Epps story offered consolation to Trump supporters, who didn’t want to admit they were responsible for what happened during the Capitol Hill attack. Even Republicans in Congress jumped into the fray – because, of course, they did. In the U.S. Senate, Ted Cruz, and in the U.S. House of Representatives, Thomas Massie, made Mr. Epps a focal point in public hearings. 

What then was the result? 

According to the Times, 

The publicity had damaging consequences for Mr. Epps and his wife, Robyn, who received numerous death threats and were forced to sell their five-acre ranch and wedding business in Arizona and move into a 350-square-foot mobile home parked at a remote trailer park in the mountains of Utah. Online retailers began selling T-shirts that said “Arrest Ray Epps.” Some people even recorded songs about him and posted them on YouTube, the complaint states, adding that he had been reduced “into a character in a cartoonish conspiracy theory.”

 

If it hadn’t been so dangerous for Epps (a former U.S. Marine – and two-time Trump voter) and his wife, the story might have had comic overtones. 

The suit paints a picture of Mr. Epps as a loyal Fox viewer who was duped by Fox’s coverage and convinced that he needed to attend the pro-Trump demonstrations on and around Jan. 6.

 

“When Fox, through its on-air personalities and guests, told its audience that the 2020 election had been stolen, Epps was listening,” the complaint says. “He believed Fox. And when Epps kept hearing that Trump supporters should let their views be known on Jan. 6 in Washington D.C., Epps took that to heart.”

 

UPDATE: Now we know. Epps has been charged. He has agreed to plead guilty. He could face up to six months in prison, and will owe $500 in restitution. He must also surrender any guns, as well as his passport. He did make it inside the Capitol that day, but has not been charged with any violence.

 

FUN FACT: I didn’t know this until January 2024, but Mr. Epps had his own theory about what happened on January 6. As court documents note, “Ironically given the conspiracy theory surrounding him, Epps repeatedly attributed the violence that occurred on Jan 6 to undercover members of Antifa posing as Trump supporters & inciting others to hijack a righteous peaceful protest.”

 

FUN FACT #2: Now awaiting sentencing, in a court filing, Mr. Epps reiterates his love for this country, describes himself as “a peaceful follower of Jesus Christ,” and asks the judge for mercy. He says false claims made against him by Fox News hosts and others, have already ruined his and his wife’s lives. He apologizes for his actions, adding, 

I have also learned not to put my trust in politicians, Fox News and some other media and social media outlest, only to have them betray me and other America [sic] citizens with election lies. Then when the election lies were exposed, they created a conspiracy to shift the entire blame of the insurrection on the FBI and myself as I became the face of J6. The blame of the insurrection is not on the FBI. It is on those who were at the Capitol and engaged in insurrectionist activities and those who misled Americans like myself, into believing the election had been stolen.

 

UPDATE: On January 9, Epps is placed on probation for a year and ordered to complete a hundred hours of community service. The judge in his case notes, “More than 700 people have been sentenced in this courthouse for their role in January 6th. Not one is a member of Antifa or a FBI agent.” 

As NBC News reports: “Speaking of the pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, Epps said that he had ‘never seen hate and vulgarity on this level’ and that he realized ‘in hindsight’ that what he did on Jan. 6 ‘is not what a Constitution-loving American would do.’” 

(Epps has also called himself “gullible” and says he “fell for the lie that the election was stolen.”) 

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

(CLAIMED TO SEE ANTIFA.)