January 6 Rioters - Part XVI - "We Are the Heart of the Country." (721-800)

“MAKE POLITICIANS AFRAID AGAIN.”

PART XVI

__________ 

“The ship of Democracy, which has weathered all storms, may sink through the mutiny of those aboard.” 

Grover Cleveland

__________

(Rioters #721-800)

Trump lied - and many of these rioters will be going to prison.

 

 

I’M NOT SURE it’s good for my mental health to keep pursuing the truth about the people who rioted on January 6. I’m stubborn, though. If I decide to embark on a task, I stick to it until I’ve reached my goal. 

I’ve pedaled a bicycle across the U.S.A. twice, for example, and want to do it again when I turn 75. 

Dogged? I am. Nuts? You may be the judge. In this post, we pick up where we left off in Part XV. 

Somewhere in Washington State:
Nearing the end of my first cross-country ride in 2007.

*

 

“Every person I talked to today was a good hearted Christian.” 

721. ANTHONY A. GRIFFITH SR.: Mr. Griffith, along with Jerry Ryals (#668), was charged with multiple crimes related to his rioting. 

In video from that day, taken outside the Capitol Building, a male voice is heard, likely the voice of the person doing the filming: “We definitely have enough people to overthrow this bitch. They don’t stand a f---ing chance. We got the f---ing doors open up there I guess. We’re working our way in slowly but surely.” 

Sadly, for Mr. Griffith, Mr. Ryals couldn’t resist posting pictures of his involvement in the attack. In one Griffith is seen on his right, bald, with a distinctive white goatee. When interviewed by the F.B.I., Griffith admitted entering the building, but said he and Ryals (and a third friend) had split up and he never saw them inside. (Ryals told agents he and Griffith met up inside several times.) 

Who were these rioters? We’ll let Ryals explain, as he did in one of his many social media posts related to that day: 

Where we go one we go all, and Yesterday was a monumental day in history. Millions of trump supporters lined out by the Washington monument to hear Trump, and after just minutes of his speech, before he had even gotten started, the patriots walked down toward Capitol Hill to #StopTheSteal

 

We reclaimed our Capitol, just to be slandered by the media pushing this Great Reset agenda and who have their hands in the CCP’s pockets. I just ask the American people to wake up if you haven’t already. Things are headed in the direction of a Revolutionary war against the corruption in our government. The media labeled us as “barbarians,” yet every person I talked to today was a good hearted Christian, who all said they’ve never really gone to any rally, protest, or anything like what we did today. Seeing millions of patriots covering the streets from Capitol Hill to the Washington monument, on both streets, sidewalk to sidewalk, showed me the true nature of the American Spirit, and this corruption can go on no longer. It is our responsibility to handle this at all costs. We are not animals, we are not Barbarians, we are the heart of this country and the last ones to stand up for your freedom. #GodBlessAmerica #Trump2020Landslide #nomorebullshit #Freedom

 

What makes this immeasurably sad is that you know Ryals believes (or did believe) what he said, and failed to see that all of us who voted for Biden are equally the “heart of this country.” We just don’t agree on who we want to lead. And we never trusted where a demagogue like Trump might take us and did take Ryals – and Griffith – and all those “good hearted” Christians who showed up in D.C. 

Now Mr. Griffith is going to prison, having been convicted in a bench trial on four charges related to his illegal actions on January 6, 2021. 

In her decision, finding Griffith guilty on all counts, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly was blunt. 

The Tulsa World explains: 

“The Court does not find this testimony credible,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote, noting that Griffith encountered chemical spay, an ear-splitting alarm upon entering the Capitol, a ransacked office and glass broken by rioters while breaching the building.

The judge also commented on Griffith’s claim of being guided by his religion.

“Although Griffith testified that he was guided by firm religious convictions, particularly in regards to his views on abortion, those religious convictions do not negate the clear video and photographic evidence speaking to his intent to engage in political demonstrations in concert with the mob around him,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote.

He gets six months in prison for his participation, twelve more on probation, and a $500 fine. 

Trump supporter (Griffith Sr.)

 

*

“We’re not letting this travesty against democracy happen.” 

722. Gregory Purdy: Tipsters quickly let the F.B.I. know that Mr. Purdy had posted on Instagram, documenting his part in the riot. In one video, he stands at the head of a bus and captions the scene: “Will be in D.C. in 1 hour.” In that picture, he’s holding a microphone, possibly talking to other riders. 

Maybe they’re singing, “The wheels on the bus go round and round, we’re headed to D.C. to burn Congress down.” 

In another video, Purdy has this to say: “‘Listen brothers and sisters, we come in peace today. But I swear to God, if the Antifa touches me, or my family, I’ll headbutt them in the f------ [inaudible] bro. Straight elbow, left hook.’ PURDY simultaneously makes motions that appear to simulate striking someone.” He addresses another individual visible in the video as “Dad.” 

A family outing, then! 

In yet another clip, young Purdy announces, “We’re not letting this steal happen. We’re not letting this travesty against democracy happen, because that’s what it is. We’re going to the Capitol right now, we’re marching there . . .” 

In another video, taken inside the Capitol, he appears to give up two additional suspects. “I got my Ass kicked by 10 cops, pepper sprayed, tear gassed, and a ripe ass beating with the Batons . . . More info to come! Videos of inside the capital building with @mattcpurdy and @bobtheplumbr1982 . . . I LOVE MY COUNTRY!!!!! STOP THE STEAL!!!!” 

He ends the day, so to speak, with an eighth video clip, proclaiming, “Today was about taking our democracy back! We have undisputed evidence of major voter fraud . . .” He goes on to rage about the blood spilled by the police – and also mentions his uncle having “his back” all day. 

Leading F.B.I. agents to suspect “@bobtheplumbr1982” might need a visit. 

Sometime later, he noted excitedly, 

Will post more footage from inside the capital [sic] tomorrow afternoon . . . Ill [sic] also talk about how I got out of it with NO CHARGES and nothing on my record and got out of DC without being in a jail cell (Yes you read that right!!!!) . . . p.s. if your [sic] wondering why I’m so open about this it’s because I DON’T GIVE A F---

 

(If you are interested, Purdy gives an in-depth description of the thinking that fueled people like him to riot on Jan. 6. In a nutshell: They believed President Trump’s lies. They echoed his rhetoric.)

 

UPDATE (June 13, 2024): Purdy, his brother (below) and uncle (#724) all ask for and receive a jury trial. The jury convicts them all; and now it’s all over but the sentencing and the sitting in jail. 

Gregory gets nailed on multiple felony charges, for assaulting police. Uncle Bob gets his share of felonies, too, also for attacking police. Matthew gets off relatively unscathed, with a pair of misdemeanors to his name. 

All Gregory wanted that day was to “do a f**king rebellion.” And now, when I update my post, it’s only three weeks to the next election, and no court has ever upheld evidence that the last presidential election was stolen. 

Trump supporter, he believed the “stolen election” bullshit, violent.

 

* 

723. Matthew Purdy: Evidence revealed in videos taken by Gregory Purdy (above) also leads to arrest of Matthew Purdy, also from New Windsor, New York. The two brothers are snagged by police on the same day. 

Later, I read that Matt and Gregory are the sons of a former Republican candidate for the New York Assembly. Which figures. 

(“Dad,” at least, has not been charged.) 

See above: He and his brother have been convicted in a jury trial. 

Trump supporter, he also believed the election was stolen.

 

* 

“Our job to uphold the Constitution and do a f***ing rebellion.” 

724. Robert Turner: In faraway Los Angeles, on November 22, 2021, “Bob the Plumber” goes down the same poop chute as his nephews Gregory and Matthew #722 and #723). Authorities also seem to have secured video showing Turner and Gregory Purdy discussing what they had done on January 6. 

“Like if your government does not follow the law and undermines democracy…wouldn’t force be kind of necessary,” Purdy says. “Given the circumstances, it’s our job to uphold the Constitution and do a f***ing rebellion.” 

“I called for a revolution, yes. A revolution,” Turner responded. 

See above (#722): Turner and his nephews have all been convicted, after a jury trial. 

Trump supporter, believed in a “stolen election.”

 

* 

“I truly thought I was following the directives of President Trump.” 

725. MARCOS PANAYIOTOU: The young man, 29, was undone by a tipster who shared photos taken of the defendant inside the Capitol. Panayiotou is seen wearing a red hat bearing the words, “MAKE POLITICIANS AFRAID AGAIN,” and a dark sweatshirt bearing the words, “Reparable Management Company – 1^st Maintenance Battalion, Camp Pendleton, CA.” on the back. 

You might call it a family affair since another tip appears to put Panayiotou’s wife and parents inside the Capitol, as well. 

(They have not been charged to this blogger’s knowledge.)

 

The defendant is a member of the U.S. Marine Reserves, having been released from active duty in May 2020. A relative described the young man as very patriotic, but “does stupid things sometimes.” 

He faced two charges, but it seemed unlikely he would spend too much time behind bars. At trial, his lawyer assured the court that Panayiotou “is ashamed of himself and was, quite frankly, in the immediate aftermath of the day. He is embarrassed for himself, his wife, those family, friends, and U.S. Marines brothers who, he believes have lost faith in him.” 

Panayiotou, he continues, no longer “trust[s] his own ability to ferret through the conflicting information on social media. … Any discussion of politics makes him feel sick to his stomach.” 

The former Marine admits himself, “I know it may sound tired and just trite but I truly thought I was following the directives of President Trump...” 

What his client did on January 6, his lawyer says, Panayiotou now “considers the biggest mistake of his life.” 

That blunder costs him 14 days in jail, a lengthy stay on probation, and a hefty fine of $2,000. 

Trump “sent us.” 

 

*

 

726. DAVID TICAS: Mr. Ticas brought his 16-year-old daughter to the riot (although to be fair) he says he didn’t know there was going to be a riot. In his letter to the judge, regarding sentencing, he states from the start: 

Dear Judge Bates,

 

This is the first and only opportunity I will have to speak with you directly. I will do my best to keep this short and to the point. I also want to acknowledge that Joseph Biden is the current Commander in Chief of the U.S. military, and I respect that.

 

On January 6^th, 2021, I attended the Stop the Steal protest in Washington D.C. to support President Trump. I did not attend this protest to be violent or destroy any property. I along with more than a million other Americans were there for redress of our grievances. The 2020 election was decided by ballot harvesting and illegal voting by mail…

 

Okay, Ticas also announces that he’s a big fan of the movie 2000 Mules – which is to say, the man has learned nothing since his arrest. 

The poor dope just can’t keep the letter short or stick to the point. The unlucky judge is treated to a rant about “the new world order,” “globalization,” and the horrors of COVID mandates. Ticas wants Judge Bates to know that the crowd of patriots that day, was shot through with “undercover federal agents or their informant [sic].” He suggests that he was a victim of “entrapment,” and dredges up the FISA warrants used to support investigating an aide in the Trump 2016 campaign. 

You can check out Mr. Ticas’ literary efforts @McFarlaneNews, on Twitter. 

You can also read more about Ticas, if you’d like to peruse his charging document. On social media, the defendant expresses anger that his incendiary posts have been taken down, but the “clowns” at BLM and Antifa get to post what they want.

 

On January 7, he responds to a friend, noting, that he was safe and sound after the riot. “Lol. I left the city, was there to have my voice heard,” he replies. “These politicians are straight up criminals. There is a reason for this non-pandemic to continue, it’s the nwo [New World Order] trying to get rid of Trump.” 

In a sense, there’s your problem right there – in that last sentence. There is no “New World Order.” That’s a made up construct to scare the ill-informed. There’s no pizza parlor in D.C. where Hillary Clinton goes to abuse children. Jade Helm was never an issue. The black helicopters aren’t going to get us. Neither is the Boogie Man. There’s no Bigfoot. There’s no “Muslim Obama.” There are no Jewish space lasers. The Loch Ness Monster is bogus. The Easter Bunny doesn’t exist. 

Elvis Presley is dead. 

JFK isn’t coming back. And Donald J. Trump isn’t going to be reinstated, no matter how many millions of dollars Mike Lindell wastes, trying to prove that he is. JFK Jr.? Yeah, he’s not still alive, either. The sad reality is that poor dupes like Mr. Dicas believe all kinds of silly nonsense. 

(His sentence includes fourteen days in jail, and two years on probation.) 

Trump supporter, believed in a “stolen election.”

 

* 

“Let’sblowshitup.” 

727. LISA ANNE HOMER: Let’s hope Ms. Homer, from Phoenix, Arizona, enjoyed her trip to D.C. and had fun rioting. Phone records placed her all over the Capitol Building that day. 

According to the charging document in her case, at one point, outside the Capitol: 

William “Billy” Chrestman [#208 on our list], one of the Proud Boys leaders is seen whipping up the crowd chanting “who’s house is this?” The crowd responds by yelling “our house.” HOMER is seen standing next to Chrestman participating in the chanting. Referring to the Capitol, Chrestman yells, “who’s house is it?” HOMER and others respond, “our house!” Then Chrestman yells “do you want your house back?” HOMER can be seen and heard yelling “yes” in response. Chrestman then yells, “take it.”2 As HOMER is yelling, she can be seen looking over her left shoulder towards the crowd, shortly before the Capitol building was attacked. 

Homer in box.

 

As authorities noted, Ms. Homer was “wearing an olive-drab, green-colored wraparound outer carrier vest (designed to hold ballistic body armor) that appears to show the outline of a protective rifle plate inside of the front compartment.” 

And might this blogger point out the dude to her right. He looks like he’s ready to defuse any bombs he finds – or maybe he knows what Homer has in mind. I think we can all agree, the guy is not dressed like your “average tourist” as one dimwitted Republican lawmaker said in describing the rioters that day. 

Nor does he (or Homer, for that matter) appear to have come “in love,” as President Donald Dimwit insisted the rioters had. 

She also wears a tan and white stocking cap, with a black patch on the front, lettered in white, “Lions not Sheep.” 

Before entering the building, however, she dons a helmet and goggles, and she’s wearing a backpack which appears to be full of gear. 

On social media Ms. Homer makes clear where she stands. She posted a Michigan map, showing voting by county, and labeled it “stolen election.” In another post, she is said to have included the Proud Boys logo. To top it off, on October 30, 2020, she posted this photo, and captioned it: “Let’sblowshitup.”

 

 

Still, for lovely “Lisa of the Dynamite Bombs,” there was romance in the air. During an earlier trip to D.C. to join another post-election protest, she met a handsome fellow, apparently a Proud Boy. 

As she described it, “Last November I was led to go to DC to stand for our liberties. Little did I know this guy would grab my hand that night. Miracles do happen.” 

In the end, Homer’s dream of blowing shit up ran afoul of the various legal niceties. She was fined $5,000 for her role in the riot, ordered to pay an additional $500 in restitution, perform 60 hours of community service, and spend the next chapter of her life on probation. 

Trump supporter, believed the election was stolen,

ready for violence.

  

* 

728. DILLON PAUL HOMOL: You do not want to be described in court filings as having a “mullet” hairdo; but Mr. Homol is. He’s young, however, and may yet adopt a more attractive hairstyle. 

According to law enforcement authorities, Homol showed up for the riot wearing a camouflage backpack, sporting a red MAGA hat, and carrying a large “Make America Great Again” flag. 

Homol filmed himself at multiple points that day: 

In one Facebook video clip, the camera is directed toward the Capitol building from a point of view southwest of the Capitol. HOMOL states: “It’s the Capitol building, they are counting the electorals in there right now and we stormed it. Look at them Trump flags up top.” HOMOL then turns the camera towards his face and states: “They can’t stop us all, come on we are going into the Capitol, can’t stop us all.”

 

In another Facebook video clip, HOMOL is walking toward the Capitol building with a group of individuals. HOMOL states: “American people are sick and tired of it, we’re tired of it, the communist cops of Washington DC, we’re storming the Capitol building. We’re storming the Capitol, this is our country.”

 

In a group chat on social media, Homol discussed plans with others to attend what someone had labeled a “Wild Protest,” stating the objective: “Congress cannot certify this fraudulent Electoral College.” 

Homol sees the handwriting on the courtroom wall in September 2023. In a bench trial he is convicted on three of four counts. 

At sentencing, he catches a break. He is sentenced to three months of home confinement, but with permission to go to work. He must then complete two years of probation and, we hope, avoid falling for Donald Trump’s lies again. 

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

 

* 

“I was in DC today when the capitol was stormed.” 

729. STEPHEN ETHAN HORN: Horn can be seen inside the Capitol Building on January 6, dressed in black helmet, black jacket, black gloves, and wearing a black backpack. Say what you will about the peaceful intent of these people, but in the same picture (Horn is standing on the base of a statue and looking down at the other rioters) two others have helmets on, as if expecting violence. 

In a Facebook post on January 11, Horn included a video almost two hours long, explaining why he was in the nation’s capital. “I was in DC today when the capitol was stormed…I did not enter the capitol building as part of the protest, or for cheap thrills,” he insisted, “but to accurately document and record a significant event which was taking place.” 

“For a while I had sort of been intending to go to at least one Trump rally just to see what it was like,” Horn told Spectrum News 1 in an interview Monday.

 

“I could see that Trump was sort of a different sort of politician. I don’t support Trump, I never have, I probably never will. But I just wanted to go to one to see what it was like,” he said.

 

He said he does not identify as a Republican, but his politics are on the conservative side. Horn is registered as an unaffiliated voter in the North Carolina State Board of Elections system.

 

Horn said he traveled to Washington D.C. in a bus of Trump supporters.

 

“I wasn’t planning to really do anything on the rally specifically, but I was prepared if I saw unrest or things like that to report on it,” he said.

 

Well, he came, he saw, he conquered. 

No, he got charged with four crimes, opted for a jury trial, and got convicted anyway. On all four charges. 

These cases do drag, of course – because defendants who can afford to fight can drag them out. On the third anniversary of the riot, Mr. Horn was still trying to overturn his conviction, insisting that he went to the Capitol as a journalist on January 6. Prosecutors still aren’t buying. They note that Horn invited his friend “JR” to join a “Stop the Steal” group, and there were numerous instances of Horn responding to JR’s messages of this nature.” 

In fact, Horn’s footprint on social media shows that he had attended numerous Trump-type rallies before. He was a member of a number of “conservative” groups on social media. For example: “Joe Biden is not my President,” and #StoptheSteal! We need one million.” 

Interestingly enough, he did send a tip to the F.B.I., the day after the riot, saying he had footage he was willing to share. 

For those who love to say the day was peaceful, just a gathering of Trump-loving patriots, Horn noted: “I have approximately two hours of video footage from the US Capitol Building on January 6. The footage captures multiple crimes, including fights with law enforcement officers, projectiles thrown at law enforcement officers, destruction of property, etc.” 

On January 10, 2024, the judge in his case places Mr. Horn on probation for a year, and hits him with a bill for $2,000. 

As for this Trumpian lie, that the rioters were no threat to anyone at all, and really wanted to give Vice President Pence a friendly hug, testimony included in the Statement of Facts in Horn’s case, includes comments from officers that day, including: 

Even rioters who were not being assaultive were deemed threatening, because, as Lieutenant Patete testified, the officers did not have the luxury of assessing each rioter individually in a time of such chaos. Trial Tr. 152:1-13, 155:20-24 (9/14/23) (“you can’t tell who’s hitting whom; you can’t apprehend anyone; you can’t really discern where the blows are coming from when you’re being assaulted.”); Trial Tr. at 161:22-25 (9/14/23) (“[I]t’s pretty difficult to, like, evaluate each specific person just because everyone’s so packed in and smushed together and hands and weapons are overlapping. So it was more the group as a whole.”). 

Trump supporter (even if he didn’t want to admit it.) 

 

* 

Enjoy that mental health screening. 

730. EDWARD McALANIS: Tipsters notified the F.B.I., just four days after the riot, that “Eddy” McAlanis was inside the Capitol Building on Jan. 6. Thirteen months later, he was found guilty, sentenced to two years of probation, ordered to perform 60 hours of community service, and required to pay $500 restitution. 

In August 2021, McAlanis took an indefinite leave of absence from the East Cocalico board of supervisors, where he served as recreation chairman for the township, 25 miles west of Philadelphia. 

He also apologized for being a distraction. It turns out (no surprise) that in days before the attack, he posted repeatedly on social media about the “stolen election.” In order to qualify for bail, early on, he had to agree to take part in a mental health screening, which I’m sure he enjoyed. 

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

 

* 

731. MICHAEL MCCORMICK: The defendant flew all the way from Santa Ana, California to Washington D.C., arriving on Jan. 5, and returning home on Jan. 7, after allegedly squeezing in time to riot. 

Video evidence placed him squarely inside the Capitol Building, but did not show him doing any damage. 

He did remark, approvingly, to one officer, during his time inside the Capitol, “He said it would be wild, huh?” 

Yes, Michael, your boy Don did say that. 

Unfortunately, it was you who plead guilty on July 18, 2022. And in December, the judge ordered you to spend fourteen days in jail. The only good news: You can self-report to jail after the holidays. 

Trump supporter. 

 

* 

732. ANDREW ALAN HERNANDEZ: The Riverside, California man, 44, was arrested in February 2021. 

According to his indictment, he was carrying an American flag when he joined the riot, and wearing a hat and shirt from the company where he worked. This led to his termination, according  to the F.B.I., “for misrepresenting the company in illegal activities.” In one Twitter post, Hernandez warned that American would be turned into a “tyrannical dictatorship,” if good Americans failed to stop bad Americans who wanted to “steal the vote” from Donald J. Trump. 

Poor Mr. Hernandez was a fan of all kinds of conspiracies, including, of course, QAnon, the dumbest of all. 

He agrees to plead guilty to one felony charge “of aiding and abetting obstruction of an official proceeding,” in August 2022. 

On January 30, 2023, Hernandez learns that he will be spending eighteen months in prison, and will have to pay a $2,000 fine. Upon release, he will also be required to complete three years of supervised release.

Trump supporter, QAnon, believed the election was stolen.

 

* 

“Back the blue???” 

733. KEVIN GALETTO: Sixty-year-old white guy from California decides to visit Washington D.C. and see the sights. 

Also, do a little revolting. 

Body camera film from multiple officers on January 6, shows Mr. Galetto battling police, grabbing shields, and urging other rioters to break through a tunnel entrance into the Capitol. At one point, “Officer B. S. is knocked to the ground.” He has his helmet ripped off, and is hit twice “by an unknown object.” Galetto retreats briefly, but is later seen outside the tunnel, summoning other rioters, shouting, “More people!” 

Prosecutors note that he joined the attack around 2:43 p.m., and took part in the last push to break police lines at the tunnel, around 4:15 p.m. And, that night, he texted a friend that Mike Pence “is a trader [sic].” 

He also makes the ultra-right website American Gulag if you’d like to donate to his fight for the right to thump police officers and try to overturn an election. He could use your help, if you are pro-insurrection, as he faces eight charges, including multiple felonies. 

(“Back the Blue???”)

 

POSTSCRIPT: Too late to donate. Galetto pleads guilty to felony charges on March 20, 2023. 

On September 6, Galetto gets 27 month in prison, and will have to pay $2,000 for his role in attacking police. Or as he texted at the time: “I was at the front of the attempted breach…After Pence turned, croud [sic] was pissed-off. We fought hard today, made history. Sore as he’ll [sic]. Was fighting with police[.]” 

Trump fan, he believed the election was stolen.

 

 

* 

734. JOHN LAMMONS: Lammons, a native of Galveston, Texas, was not arrested till March 24, 2022. 

In one video from January 6, Lammons appears to be inside the Capitol Building. A friend inquires if he had been arrested. Lammons replies, “No bro talked my way out” and “Kept others from getting beat up and going to.” A little searching, by law enforcement, revealed that Lammons founded Anaconda Jiu-Jitsu in 2012. He admitted traveling to D.C. from Galveston, on January 4, 2021, in his own truck, along with a female friend. He also admitted he was inside the building, and had to climb through a window to get out, because others were still crowding inside. 

He explained to a local news reporter back home, that he had gone to the Capitol because,

“I was not very happy about things and I just wanted to go have a look,” Lammons said.

 

“We were framed,” Lammons said. “They opened the doors. We walked in, looked around, didn’t touch anything. You know the rest of the story.”

 

In a plea for mercy, Lammons later insists he did his best to discourage rioters from engaging in “unnecessary, unjustified violence.” He even hid a brick after a young girl laid it down – and he feared she might plan to throw it.

Lammons’ lawyer asks Judge Royce Lamberth to place his client on probation, to be lenient. The judge isn’t buying. “In these cases, a sentence of probation is not an adequate sentence … for the seriousness of what occurred that day … the way society, the country and this court view it.” 

On February 6, 2023, he sends Mr. Lammons to the cooler for 30 days.

Trump supporter.

 

* 

735. Lawrence Ligas: Like so many other subjects, Mr. Ligas, 62, flew to Washington D.C. on January 5, in time to attend the big “Stop the Steal” rally. Video and phone evidence appears to place him inside the Capitol Building during the January 6 riot. 

Asked about his arrest by a reporter back home, Ligas responded, “Freedom isn’t free.” When not trying to destroy democracy, Ligas has kept busy, working on the campaign of Darren Baily, a Republican candidate for Illinois governor. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

736. LUKE MICHAEL LINTS: The Traverse City, Michigan man was not arrested until June 30,  2022. 

He was accused of assaulting multiple police officers during the riot, and was heavily involved in the attempt to break through the “tunnel,” “a narrow point of entry on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol, circled below.”

 

 

At some point, Lints wrested a police shield from one officer and used it to try to block a door another officer was trying to close. 

Whatever his defense for his behavior might be, this paragraph from the charging document wasn’t going to help: 

The FBI interviewed LINTS’ mother and showed her photos of LINTS at the Capitol, including the images depicted in Figure 9. LINTS’ mother identified LINTS in the photographs. LINTS’ mother stated that on January 6, 2021, she had a medical episode while walking along Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol, and had to take an ambulance to the hospital. LINTS’ mother stated that she was unsure what LINTS did while she was hospitalized, but on the way back to Michigan, LINTS’ mother stated that LINTS appeared scared because of what he had done at the Capitol, and would not talk about it with her.

 

Like many right-wing types, Lints enjoyed posting comments on Parler. He now stands convicted on felony charges. 

As DOJ notes, 

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Lints watched speeches at the rally near the ellipse and then walked to the Capitol. Lints then became part of a large group of rioters who attempted to violently push their way past law enforcement officers guarding the Lower West Terrace tunnel of the Capitol. At approximately 3:10 p.m., Lints entered the tunnel on the Lower West Terrace and made his way toward the front of the police line. Lints was observed at the front of the line of rioters who were engaged in an assault against the police. Lints obtained a police riot shield and used it to push back against a law enforcement officer who was also holding a shield. Lints used his shield to prevent an officer from closing a door to create a barrier between the rioters and law enforcement. At one point, the group of rioters, including Lints, began chanting “heave! ho!” in unison as they moved back and forth together against the team of police. Lints admits and agrees that he obstructed, impeded, or interfered with law enforcement officers lawfully engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties incident to and during the commission of a civil disorder which adversely affected commerce and the performance of a federally protected function.

 

It would seem that Mr. Lints got off lightly at sentencing – garnering a mere four months in prison. 

He must also complete three years of supervised release, including four on home confinement, and write a check for $2,000 in restitution.  

(LIKELY RIGHT-WING TYPE; AFFILIATION UNKNOWN.)

 

* 

Plotting to kill F.B.I. agents. 

737. Edward Kelley: According to Witness 1, in the charging document, he gave Mr. Kelley, whose last name he did not know, a ride from Tennessee to D.C. on January 5, at the request of his pastor. 

When interviewed by authorities, Kelley denied entering the Capitol Building, but did say he had attended prayer meetings across the street from the Planned Parenthood facility in Maryville, Tn. 

(He’s an anti-abortion activist.)

 

By the time Kelley marches to the Capitol on January 6, he is wearing a green tactical helmet, a gas mask, and other military-style gear, including a stuffed backpack. He appears prepared for war, not for peaceful protest. In one video, Kelley and two other men are allegedly shown throwing a police officer to the ground. He is also said to be seen breaking a window in the building with what appears to be a 2 x 4. And at 2:13 p.m. he is one of the first rioters to enter. He eventually reaches the Senate gallery, and is forced out of the building around 2:54. 

Kelley’s legal problems escalate dramatically, in December 2022, when prosecutors allege he had obtained a list of law enforcement agents who participated in the investigation in his case. 

And plotted to kill them. 

 

 

(By mutual agreement, Kelley’s lawyer and Kelly agree that he will be stepping down in the case, and Mr. Kelly will be asking for the court to appoint a public defender. So, again, We the Taxpayers can pay to defend these boneheads.)

 

UPDATE: On November 10, 2023, Austin Carter (#950 on our list) admitted that he and Kelly had worked out a plan to kill up to 37 people, mainly F.B.I. agents who were working on bringing Kelly to justice. Carter was, at the time of his arrest in December 2022, a security officer and member of the Army Reserves. 

Right-wing type, violent.

 

* 

No gluten, but a little rioting. 

738-739. CAROL O’NEAL KICINSKI and JON HENEGHAN: Phone data appears to place Ms. Kicinski inside the Capitol Building on January 6, in company with Mr. Heneghan. The couple are apparently romantically involved. Heneghan appears to be a successful poker player. Kicinski is the founder of a website, “simply gluten-free.com.” 

In this picture, which could be replicated in slightly different variations a thousand times, the people storming the Capitol look like what they were (and mostly remain). These are Trump’s folks. These are the people who heard the president’s drumbeat of lies and fell hard under his spell. They are kindred spirits to the dead who littered the site at Jonestown in 1978. 

Both Kicinski and Heneghan faced multiple charges. Both have pled guilty, with Heneghan getting 20 days in jail, probation, and a $500 bill. 

Kicinski gets the same butcher’s bill.

 

Kicinski and Heneghan. 

Trump supporters, both.

 

* 

740-741. CHRISTOPHER LOGSDON and TINA LOGSDON: Husband and wife were summoned to appear in court on February 8, 2022.

Charges against the couple were filed this past January 18, but little information was available at that time. The couple could be seen dressed in tasteful Trump gear in one online photo, and both appeared to be middle-aged white persons. (I kept looking for details – and found they were,  Christopher 46, Tina, 39) 

 

The Logsdons faced  a total of eight charges, all misdemeanors, for their roles in the riot, split evenly. 

A second photo, from inside the Capitol Building shows Mr. Logsdon in helmet and battle array. (We do know that a whole shitload of “patriots” showed up for the riot dressed for combat, as if they were in Afghanistan or Iraq.) 

What was Mrs. Logsdon’s state of mind, in the wake of Joe Biden’s win in the November 2020 election? On November 5, she posted online: “You can not tell me that over half of the USA voted for this pedophile…He def dont need to be President he really needs to be hanging by the neck from the nearest tree. Pedophile style. With two in the head. Sorry not sorry.” 

The day after the riot, Tina posted proudly on Facebook: “It was Trump supporters who stormed the capital, I was one of them. That’s it, it’s time we take a stand as Americans, and go home. What better way to clean up than this.” 

She continued: “Yes we raided the capital. We tried to do it calmly but they didn’t listen, maybe they will listen now.” 

Both plead guilty on July 20, 2022. In October, Christopher is sentenced to fourteen days in jail, served intermittently, ordered to pay $500 in restitution, and placed on probation for three years. Tina gets the same sentence, but an additional 60 hours of community service – probably because she’s a QAnon bonehead.

Trump supporters, both. 

QAnon (Tina)

 

* 

742. CARSON LUCARD: The gentleman from Philadelphia has been sentenced to spend seven weekends in jail, another 60 days on home confinement, remain on probation for three years, and turn over $500 in restitution. 

An expensive lesson in civics for a man who just wanted to riot and overturn American democracy. 

Lucard entered the Capitol Building once, then reentered a second time with a friend, Brian Stenz (#708). 

(POLITICAL AFFILIATION UNKNOWN.)

 

* 

“Be there. Trump needs us.” 

743. Athanasios Zoyganeles: The man you might bet would end up last on any alphabetical list decided to brag about how he “stayed on the front lines” at the riot, despite flash-bang grenades and tear gas. 

Now, the Chicago gentleman has been arrested, placed on trial, and plead guilty. On Facebook, he could be seen, prior to the attack on democracy, sporting a red MAGA hat, and using a plethora of exclamation points to describe himself. To wit: “American patriot!!!!! He is my President!!!!! Welcome all patriots!!!!! We are all family!!!!!” 

On Facebook, Mr. Zoyganeles and a friend discussed going to D.C., with his friend noting, “Heavily armed.” On a positive note, Zoyganeles told his friend he had to let work know if he was going to the riot, so he could take a day off – so, respect for being a responsible rioter!!!!! 

“It’s time we take this country back,” he added. Take it back from whom? The other voters, I guess. 

His friend prompted him to go, saying, “In case you haven’t heard, Donald Trump had asked us to be in Washington DC on January 6th. Be there Trump needs us.” 

Late in the afternoon of the day of the attack, another friend wondered if Zoyganeles was okay. “No,” he replied, “im done i was teargassed maced and they were throwing flash bangs at me but I still stayed on the front lines. It wasn’t easy but we did it.” 

Yep!!!!! We did it!!!!! We got arrested and convicted!!!!!  And we never realized the president was lying his fat ass off about the election!!!!! 

He was charged with two crimes and pleaded guilty to one, on July 1, 2022!!!!! 

Trump “sent us.”

 

* 

744. LETICIA VILHENA FERREIRA: Depending on her immigration status, Ms. Ferreira, 32, may face more serious trouble than many other alleged rioters. A native of Brazil, she seems to have realized she made a mistake in joining the march to the Capitol almost as soon as all the tear gas cleared. 

On January 7, she texted a friend: 

“Do you think they will go after all the people walking in the capitol area?”

 

The person replied, “Don’t be sad. Be prepared. We are all f—ed.”

 

Ferreira allegedly wrote back, “I was so irresponsible to walk there.”

 

When interviewed by law enforcement authorities, she explained that while she could not vote in 2020, she had wanted to go to D.C. to hear President Trump speak. Since she’s in the U.S. on a work VISA, she could soon be headed back to Brazil, where the president is, like Trump was, an idiot. She showed up for a riot in the uniform headgear: red MAGA baseball cap. 

Like so many other rioters, Ms. Ferreira will now pay a price for her mistakes. She plead guilty to a single misdemeanor charge in June 2022. The following October, she netted 14 days in jail, three years on supervised release, sixty hours of community service, and a bill for $500 in restitution. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

745. PATRICK JOHN KING: King or his friend Jones (#746) may get the “Doofus Rioter of the Year Award.” Facebook records show that King was telling people the pair went inside the Capitol and “smoked weed n shit” while also admitting to being worried about an arrest. 

He also announced he “went to punk congress let them know we ain’t fuckin around no more.” 

King has since pled guilty, and will spend the next three years on probation. He must also pay $500 for his efforts to “punk congress,” and overturn the lawful results of the 2020 election. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

746. BRIAN RAYMOND JONES: Yeah. Same as #745. The two men flew Delta and United, to travel from Seattle to D.C. and back, and spent good money to stay at a Marriot Hotel while in Washington. They were turned in by someone who had known them since attending middle school together. 

Now King and Jones can spend for good lawyers, and maybe pay a few fines, and, who knows, share a cell together. 

Jones starts it off – with $500 owed in restitution, 60 hours of community service, and a year on probation.

Trump supporter.

 

*

“We gonna greet you with guns.”

747. BILLY KNUTSON: Mr. Knutson hails from Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the famed “Corn Palace.” A relative, “Confidential Source 1,” turned him in, as his charging document explains: 

CS-1 told the FBI that KNUTSON had a Parler account under the username @playboythebeast. CS-1 stated that KNUTSON had been posting online that he was at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and that KNUTSON had posted photographs of himself outside of the Capitol. CS-1 further told FBI agents that KNUTSON was a rapper who sold his music online. CS-1 stated that KNUTSON has a YouTube channel under the username Playboythebeast.

 

The F.B.I. agent in his case then searched a YouTube channel for Playboythebeast, and found him performing several numbers related to the attack on Capitol Hill. 

The Sioux Falls, South Dakota Argus Leader fleshes out a bit of detail: 

One of the songs on Knutson’s YouTube channel is called “Patriots: Message To The World” and has more than 60,000 views.

 

“We been fighting for y’all, and this how you treat us? Calling us traitors and claim we not peaceful?” he sang on the video, which included video clips of the riot.

 

Messages posted on Knutson’s YouTube channel under the username “Playboy The Beast” expressed support for the far-right Proud Boys.  

A second check of lyrics turns up these gems from Knutson’s songs: 

The media’s been trying to demonize us about the events of January 6^th, spreading fake news and propaganda as they always have.”

 

“We never gon’ surrender; these patriots on a mission.”

 

“We don’t wanna go to war but we gotta stand strong; we ain’t never backin’ down.” (This refrain is repeated many times.)

 

“If you’re not gonna fight for us then we have no choice but to band together and fight for ourselves.”

 

“We may have lost the battle but this fight is far from over. Give me freedom or give me death.” [He makes throat-slitting motion as he says the second sentence.]

 

“Said I’m ready for a war and what I said I really meant it.”

 

“If the price of freedom’s blood then I’m down to pay the fee.”

 

“You try to take away our rights we gonna greet you with guns.” [As animated bullets rain down on the screen.]

 

In April 2022, a chastened rapper sounds much less interested in fighting, and paying the fee, and strikes a plea deal, including allowing authorities to search his social media accounts for information that might lead to the arrest of other suspects. His reward for rioting: Six months in prison and $500 in restitution. He can also rap with his probation officer for a year. 

Trump supporter, ready for violence.

 

* 

748. PAUL KOVACIK: His charging document says it all. According to the agent in his case, in a November 2021 call, he talked to the suspect: 

In sum and substance, he informed me that he took the train to Washington, D.C., and stayed overnight on January 6, 2021. KOVACIK entered the west side entrance of the Captiol [sic] and made his way to an elevator and took it to the third floor. As he exited the elevator the area appeared abandoned. He recalled being with another individual whom he observed throw “some type of sticks” down a level towards police. KOVACIK identified that individual as Zachary Alam. KOVACIK then made his way down to the second floor; he described a commotion and learned that a girl had been shot. KOVACIK estimated that he was inside the Capitol for approximately 1-1 ½ hours and mainly on the House side. KOVACIK further informed me that he had recorded multiple videos on January 6, 2021 and agreed to send the videos via email.

 

Kovacik is described that day as having “gray hair, wearing glasses, [and] a dark-blue hooded sweatshirt with ‘Trump 2020’ in white block lettering.” 

Additional investigation showed that Kovacik had recently been arrested on a different matter – and when he showed up on police bodycam footage he was once again wearing, yes, his “Trump 2020” sweatshirt. 

Presto: He finds himself charged with a pair of federal offenses. 

Presto #2: He gets convicted and lands in the slammer for 90 days, and gets three years more on probation. 

Presto #3: Kovacik decided going to jail might not be his style. On November 1, 2023, he fled the country, ending up in Dublin, Ireland. A new warrant was issued; but in June 2024, Kovacik said he was “homesick” and returned to the United States. He was picked up on landing and immediately transferred to prison to serve out his initial sentence. He now faces new charges. 

(He also appears to have a crappy record as an operator of a motor vehicle.) 

Trump supporter (sartorially suspect).

 

* 

Hanging politicians from beautiful oak trees. 

749. MATTHEW THOMAS KROL: In his charging document, Mr. Krol is described as “a 63- year-old male from Linden, Michigan.” 

As has been true with many of the rioters, his use of a phone during the melee allowed his location to be traced – and placed him smack dab in the middle of the Capitol Building. 

Krol – let’s label him “Grandpa Insurrectionist,” “has been identified as FBI Most Wanted Capitol Violence Subject #291, wanted for assaulting a Capitol Police Officer, stealing a police baton from said Officer, and using the stolen baton to assault other Capitol Police Officers.” 

Krol also showed up in military gear at an anti-lockdown protest in front of the state capital. According to the F.B.I., “Krol is the self-professed executive officer of the Genesee County Volunteer Militia.” 

On August 15, 2023, a day after President Trump got indicted again (for plotting to steal the election), Krol pled guilty to one felony count of assault. 

Since then, he has taken to calling himself a “political prisoner,” and calling officers, including Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, who say he injured them liars. Fortunately, the judge in Mr. Krol’s case was unmoved by his antics. 

At sentencing, Judge Rudolph Contreras noted that January 6 “was not a peaceful event…. It was a direct attack on our nation’s democracy.” 

He stated further that Mr. Krol was part of some of the worst violence that day, part of a “confluence of events spurred by President Trump… and his close allies.” Krol’s penalty: 51 months behind bars. 

 

FUN FACT: When not rioting in D.C., Krol enjoyed communicating with like-minded fellows who would eventually be sent to prison for plotting to kidnap (and possibly kill) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitman. 

In an anti-mask shutdown speech, on the steps of the state capital, he spoke enthusiastically about hanging politicians from the beautiful oak trees nearby. 

See Krol in violent action here.

Right-winger, violent.

 

* 

“Actively storming the capital building.” 

750. TYLER JOHN TEW: Mr. Tew, who hails from Idaho Falls, Idaho, knew how to dress for the January 2021 cold. He showed up on Capitol Hill wearing a red MAGA hat, and “a khaki coat over a black hooded sweater, with a gray collar under both of those layers.” 

Sometimes, it takes a good deal of digging to find out where a rioter stands. Not Mr. Tew. At 6:23 p.m., on the day of the riot, he posted on Facebook: 

DC protests: to be clear! There was absolutely zero vandalism aside from a broken door that I saw, I saw no fighting and only anger at our government for allowing an election to be stolen. YOU SHOULD BE MAD TOO!

 

There is no mob. There is respect to the police, at the door they are trying to convince the people to stand down, respectfully and allow the protesters to occupy OUR, the PEOPLE’S CAPITAL BUILDING.

 

What other options do we the people have when if we allow this to go through there will never be another fair election for generations to come! The democrats will allow illegal immigrants to vote, they’ll add DC and Puerto Rico too the Senate. We will never have another chance at a fair election again.

 

For those mad at the people attempting to occupy the capital building, look in the mirror and think about how this election was stolen right in front of our faces! That should make you sick! Not this!

 

Tew’s take is particularly interesting, since he also messaged earlier that day about being hit with pepper spray, and because he showed up in photos at the front of the mob, as police lines outside were battered down. In several pictures, you can see numerous rioters wearing tactical helmets and dressed in military gear. 

According to his charging document, Tew sent a number of interesting texts in the days following the riot. For example: 

On January 8 at 9:27PM MST, TEW texted his spouse, “Fucking Covid. The reason why I stormed the capital building! [winky emoji]” and “I stormed the capital building FOR YOU!!!!” On January 9 at 2:42PM MST, TEW texted a U.S. telephone, “Yes. I need a little bit! I’m in AZ. I’ll actually need it. Tell him I stormed the Capitol LOL maybe he’ll sell me bullets because I will actually use them LOL.”

 

On January 12 at 11:25AM MST, another individual texted TEW, “Send me the video of you being in the capital building I promise you I won’t send it to anyone else I just want to show one buddy. Cool? If not no big deal bud.”

 

In fact, a search warrant executed on a Facebook account registered to his name, showed that in real time that riotous day, he had an entirely different view of what was taking place. At 2:25 p.m. he posted, “They are actively storming the capital. Taking it back from the corrupt politicians! 1776!” 

At 2:26, he posted, “The crowd is actively storming the capital building. Unable to upload pictures or videos due to no service.” 

At 3:25 p.m., as he phrased it, he got “pepper sprayed in the face for my country.” Two days after the riot, Tew allegedly wrote his spouse, “I stormed the capital [sic] building FOR YOU!!!!” 

At 4:10, he again posted: “They are actively storming the capital. Taking it back from the corrupt politicians! 1776!” 

And at 6:23 p.m., as previously noted, he claimed that all had been peace and harmony on Capitol Hill. 

Two days later, he did get a kind of electronic “thank you note” from a Facebook friend, who told him it took “some big balls to stand up and do what you did.” 

Tew’s charging document is probably worth a read – since his social media posts show expertise at self-justification. In his mind, he was a “patriot,” fighting for “freedom” on January 6. In fact, he was a fool – fooled by President Trump. For his efforts, he ends up charged with four crimes. 

In June 2023, he pleads guilty and in December he pays the penalty for being a fool: Two years on probation, $2,500 in fines and restitution.

 

FUN FACT: In January 2024, Mr. Tew petitions the court to loosen his restrictions, so he can take an international vacation. 

Trump supporter, he believed the “stolen election” lie.

* 

751. VERDEN ANDREW NALLEY: Nalley was charged with three counts for his role in the riot. He has plead guilty, and been sentenced to two years’ probation, community service and to pay $500 in restitution. 

Previous to January 6, Nalley had a clean record, and in court he admitted he had “made a huge mistake.” He could have been in far worse trouble, because when he returned to Georgia after the attack on Capitol Hill, he posted on social media that he planned to return again – only this time with guns. 

He caught a break, you might argue, and spent only three days in jail, when he was first arrested. 

His lawyer argued, in part, that Nalley was a friend of William McCall Calhoun Jr. (#143), and under his sway at the time of the riot. 

Nalley ends up pleading to a single misdemeanor charge, getting slapped for $500 in restitution, and an order to perform 60 hours of community service. He also receives two years on probation. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

752. Jake Maxwell: According to a press release from the Justice Department, Maxwell, a 20-year-old from Georgia “engaged in physical confrontations with law enforcement officers” during the attack on Capitol Hill. Specifically, Maxwell did his best to wrestle away one officer’s baton. 

He has admitted that he can be seen in bodycam video from that day; and for this and other misdeeds he faced seven charges, including one for assault. 

In his defense, he said that he had been sprayed by a chemical irritant at the time, and had “started freakin’ out.” 

And why was Maxwell there, to begin? At his subsequent trial, prosecutors noted that he had traveled all the way from Athens, Georgia, for the thrill of hearing Donald J. Trump speak at the “Stop the Steal” rally on the afternoon of the riot. 

So he came. 

He listened. 

He rioted. 

He got arrested. 

In November 2023, he also got convicted, on all five charges he faced, including one felony. (Another source says he was convicted on three of seven charges, but still including the felony.) 

As for the stupid argument that these poor folks were egged on by leftist types, and F.B.I. plants, Maxwell remained on Capitol Hill grounds for almost three hours, at one point, just before five p.m., getting close to the tunnel entrance, where other rioters were trying to break in. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

The Michael Jackson of rioters? 

753. ANTHONY MICHAEL MAZZIO JR.: Mazzio hales from Dothan, Alabama, and came to D.C. on Jan. 6 to hear President Trump speak – and then allegedly riot. When he entered the Capitol he is said to have been carrying an American flag, and wearing “a tactical type glove with hard coating around the knuckles of the glove.” 

Singular? A glove? The Michael Jackson of rioters. 

In a video posted to social media, Mazzio allegedly explains his reason for being at that place at that time: 

We all know they changed the rules mid-game and they are not being held accountable and that’s a shame. We are tired of waiting for people that have been prominent, honestly Hillary Clinton is going to go to jail….It’s time to take a stand, we are still here right now brother, we didn’t expect to get this far. We went through gas grenades, we aren’t trying to hurt nobody. We want these people to be held accountable to the laws that we have seen them violate. That’s all there is to it.

 

Actually, there was more to it. Mazzio was charged, plead guilty, and ended up sentenced to 60 days in jail, plus a few other goodies. 

Trump supporter, he believed the “stolen election” lie.

 

* 

754. AARON JAMES MILEUR: What a bummer. Mileur was turned in by a friend of a friend of his on Facebook, who saw his posts, allegedly placing him inside the Capitol Building on January 6. 

He is also known to post on “Save Anchorage,” a public Facebook group which opposed mask mandates, and features loving pictures of Mike Lindell and…Donald J. Trump. 

He even hails from Wasilla, Alaska, where Sarah Palin was mayor. When not rioting, Mileur, 41, is a construction worker and enjoys posting on social media, explaining how much he dislikes Democrats and immigrants. 

Investigators combing through his social media posts uncover evidence which leads to the arrest of two other rioters, Carrie Ann Williams, Mileur’s cousin (#907 on our list), and her fiancé Tyrone McFadden Jr. (#906). Mileur pleads guilty to one misdemeanor charge in December 2022, as do McFadden and Williams. 

His reward for following Trump slavishly: 30 days of home arrest, probation, community service, and $500 in restitution. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

755. ADAM MILLER: Mr. Miller is from Akron, Ohio, this blogger’s old hometown. He must have had high hopes of evading arrest, since information was filed in his case and he was arrested only in May 2022. 

A relative told the F.B.I. that he or she was aware Miller had traveled to D.C. prior to January 6. Miller had also been following QAnon theories – which I think we can all admit by now, isn’t usually good. 

He pled guilty and was sentenced on March 23, 2023 to 30 days in jail, 36 months on probation and hit up for $1,000 in fines and restitution. 

QAnon.

 

* 

756. DEVIN STEINER: Mr. Steiner and his brother-in-law, Mr. Miller  (#755), can both be seen in videos and pictures from January 6, inside the Capitol. According to the F.B.I., a message sent from Steiner’s phone that day reads, “Storming the capitol building with hundreds of thousands!” 

Three days later, this message exchange occurs: 

PERSON 1: Wanna hang out tomorrow night?

STEINER: I’d love to but I’m laying low for awhile.

PERSON 1: Worried about the law Coming after you?

STEINER: Mmmhmm

 

Evidence appeared to place Steiner (for sure) and Miller (allegedly) inside the Capitol at multiple locations on that day. 

Steiner has since pled guilty and was sentenced to serve 30 days of incarceration, complete 36 months of probation, and hand over $1,000 to the federal government for his anti-democratic crimes. 

(LIKELY TRUMP SUPPORTER, NOT DEFINITIVE.)

 

* 

757. BERNARD SIRR: In the complaint against Mr. Sirr he can be seen “repeatedly engaging in an assault against law enforcement officers guarding the United States Capitol.” Video also shows Sirr breaching the Capitol once, leaving the building, and, an hour later, joining a fresh assault. 

Authorities have photographic evidence of Sirr wearing a hat with a coiled “Don’t’ tread on me,” kind of snake both during the riot and on his passport application. He was also on leave from work, Jan. 5-7. 

He was not arrested until June 29, 2022. He is, in better times, a facility engineer at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center. He was placed on administrative leave at the time of his arrest – and is almost certainly going to find himself unemployed in the near future. 

As of January 2023, Sirr is a convicted felon, as a result of his participation in the attack. 

Or: Another life ruined because people believed in the lies of then-President Donald John Trump.

 

UPDATE: Sirr gets sentenced to 60 days in jail, followed by another 180 on house arrest. He is also hit for $2,000 in restitution. 

(LIKELY TRUMP SUPPORTER.)

 

* 

“Delete anything I sent you please.” 

758. TRACI ISAACS: According to federal authorities, Ms. Isaacs posted a picture of herself on social media on Jan. 5, alongside a man in full tactical gear. Later, she posted a comment about having been involved in “storming the capitol.” 

A lawyer representing Isaacs told the F.B.I. she did enter the Capitol Building, but not with the first wave. 

She has been a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers since 2016. On January 3 or 4, she submitted an application to volunteer with the group in D.C., because she had paramedic skills. Her call name on radio that day was “Shelby Cobra.” Isaac also admitted that her husband (#759) and nephew had entered the Capitol Building during the riot – which cannot help their defense. In a group chat, authorities allege, Isaacs and other Florida members of the Oath Keepers discuss what gear to bring to Washington D.C., including weapons. 

Various messages sent or received indicate that Isaacs realized she and several individuals she knew could be in serious trouble, after the riot. For example, a message from William – who is worried about being seen in the January 5 photograph; “The only problem is my armor.” 

Also from William: “Do I work on scrubbing evidence or go to school[?]” 

Isaac to a friend: “We are all Oath Keepers so they’re going to fuck with us probably.” Four days after the attack, she messaged someone, “Delete anything I sent you please. Feds are going after people hard.” 

She also expressed regret after the attack – not because of the violence involved – but because she and her friends had blown their chance to save Donald Trump. “It was glorious but kinda f***** up,” she wrote. “We should have done this differently. We should have occupied the Capitol with demands.” 

Or, you could have faced up to the simple fact that Joe Biden won. That would have worked too. 

Ms. Isaacs has since the riot pleaded guilty to a single charge of destroying records in an investigation. 

The maximum sentence for such a crime is twenty years in prison. (Her nephew, William got very lucky – and will spend only five years on probation.)

 

UPDATE: Ms. Isaacs learns the full cost of her love for Trump in January 2024. She will be spending a year and a day in prison, a year more on probation, and she’s out $2,000. Not to mention legal costs! 

Trump supporter, right-wing type, ready for violence?

 

* 

759. LUIS HALLON: Hallon and Isaacs had been married for only a month (although they had been together for seventeen years) when they decided to head to D.C. He has claimed that he only entered the Capitol to “check it out.” According to Hallon’s attorney, he and his wife “never had any intention to inflict harm on anyone or take over the Capitol. They only intended to peacefully exercise their rights, or alternatively, to engage in a peaceful protest.” 

Cost of his trip to D.C.: two years on probation, and a bill for $500. 

Trump supporter, right-wing type.

 

* 

“I don’t know what we are doing now.” 

760. LESLIE GRAY: Gray was indicted along with Isaacs and Hallon (above). Authorities noted that on Jan. 12, Isaacs texted her a warning, “Girl I almost had a heart attack last night. FBI keep putting up more pictures and for a second, I thought one was me. It’s not me but holy [expletive] did I get instantly sick.”  

We know Isaacs was concerned about being arrested, because on Jan. 9, Gray texted a friend, “We are probably OK but were part of the Capitol Riot and I got reported to the FBI.” 

As for Ms. Gray and her motivation for being in Washington, on January 3, she said she was going to D.C. to protest “illegal voting.” She said she and her friends would be protected from Antifa by the Proud Boys, and said Antifa had killed four Proud Boys at a previous rally in D.C. 

That isn’t true, but Gray believed it was – and she also believed President Trump when he claimed the election was stolen. 

That also wasn’t true. 

According to law enforcement authorities, at one point Gray filmed herself after entering the Rotunda, and then stated, “I am in Congress. This is our house. This is our house! … I don’t know what we are doing now but we are in here. We’ve taken it.” That phrase, “I don’t know what we are doing now,” might, at bottom, sum up the whole damn rioting crew. 

Later, she could be heard on video, suggesting that an Antifa person, dressed as a police officer might have shot Ashli Babbitt. Then Gray insisted, “We will take back our country from the communists … American patriots stormed the Capitol today. I am an American patriot. I stormed the Capitol today.” 

Okay, nice job – of getting arrested – and initially charged with 11 federal crimes. In June 2023, Gray agrees to a deal and takes a guilty plea on a single charge, for aiding and abetting in the obstruction of an official proceeding. 

In October she gets her reward: a year in prison and a bill for $2,000 in restitution. 

Trump supporter, she believed the “stolen election” lie.

(ANOTHER FALSE ANTIFA SIGHTING!)

 

* 

761. KEVIN M. CRONIN: Dad, and the boys (see below) came a long way to riot, flying from Puyallup, Washington to Washington D.C. just for the occasion. 

And why did he come: “I came to hear the final speech of Donald Trump as sitting President.” 

Dad gets arrested. Dad gets convicted. Dad gets eighteen months on probation, and a bill for $2,000. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

762. KEVIN M. CRONIN II: See above. Kevin was a member of the National Guard at the time of the riot. He was discharged in August 2021, for obvious reasons. 

You can probably guess why. 

He pleads out, gets 30 days in the slammer, and owes $500. 

(LIKELY TRUMP SUPPORTER; NOT KNOWN.) 

 

* 

763. DYLAN R. CRONIN: See above. Dylan is captured on video, at 2:12 p.m., using a piece of lumber to break a window on a door leading into the Capitol. At the time of the riot, Dylan was a member of the U.S. Army Reserves. 

In the complaint against them, the Cronin men are seen in numerous pictures, both inside and near the Capitol Building. All three are wearing the “uniform of the day:” that is, red MAGA hats. 

He pled guilty to two charges; and on September 9, 2023, he was the last of the family gang to learn his fate. Eight months in prison.

(LIKELY TRUMP SUPPORTER; NOT KNOWN.)

 

* 

764. DOVA WINEGEART:  You know the old joke where someone bakes a cake for a prisoner, with a file inside. 

Ms. Winegeart can at least bake her own cake if she goes to jail. The Oklahoma bakery owner, 49, has been arrested for her role in the attack on Capitol Hill. I’ll just be lazy on this one and quote the Daily Beast. Winegeart 

was spotted in photos swinging a wooden pole and shattering the window of the House door, causing over $1,000 in damage, according to the affidavit. She was released on $5,000 bond on the same day of her arrest. Three separate friends went to the FBI to turn over pictures and text messages. “Yes we are mad. Yes we want to go inside Capital [sic],” one text read, according to the affidavit. “It’s our building. Not the governments. We are their bosses but get treated like dogs. I’m done with this government. It’s fight time non stop now. They asked for it...It got crazy. I did sh-t.”

 

Well…a Trump supporter or not? I have to figure that out for purposes of my list. The full quote provides the answer. It turns out Winegeart didn’t want to share credit for the attack with any lefty-types: 

Some false stories going around. We have tons of video. A lot of pissed of (sic) Trump supporters. A few Antifa. Yes we are mad. Yes we want to go inside Capital (sic.) It’s our building. Not the governments. We are their bosses but get treated like dogs. I’m done with this government. It’s fight time non stop now. They asked for it.

 

Her defense was not helped by the fact that her husband admitted he was present during the attack – and positively identified his wife as the rioter swinging the wooden pole, with some kind of metal spikes at the end, at the window. Style points at least. Ms. Winegeart was tastefully attired in a long red peacoat. 

She faced five charges, total, including one felony, but at trial was acquitted on four, and found guilty of only a misdemeanor charge. As for the window, she convinced the judge it was already broken when she started whacking it; so she shouldn’t be blamed for the total cost. 

Trump supporter.

(CLAIMED TO SEE ANTIFA.)

 

* 

765. CAREY JOHN WALDEN: Mr. Walden traveled from Kansas City, Missouri to the scene of the crime, as it were. He has admitted to federal authorities that he did enter the Capitol Building, and came prepared with a respirator. 

In his charging document, he is quoted: 

I left after about 5 minutes. I walked out after I heard that someone was shot. I was wearing blue jeans gray sweatshirt, blue respirator, red chiefs beanie. Had a backpack, with all of the belongings I have. I was not armed, nor had body armor. I am not a part of any hate groups. I went with a bus of Trump supports. I am a U.S Marine (inactive) veteran. These are my recollections of that day.”

 

Walden pleads guilty and is sentenced to spend thirty days on home detention, three years on probation, perform community service and pay five hundred bucks in restitution.

Trump supporter.

 

* 

766-767. COLTON WARGO and KIMBERLY WARGO: According to authorities, the Capitol was first breached at 2:11 p.m. on that fateful day. Nine minutes later, the two Cleveland, Ohio residents, mother and son, entered the building. 

Ms. Wargo was attired in a flag-themed shirt of some sort. Her son wore a white pullover with a picture of Trump, as a child, urinating on three red letters: CNN, and a variation of the requisite red MAGA hat. They appear, mostly, to have taken a rioter’s tour of the Capitol, and did manage to enter the House of Representatives’ chamber, after lawmakers evacuated in fear of the more volatile members of the mob. 

Why drive all the way to Washington D.C., just to be there when it got “wild?” Colton Wargo admits they wanted to hear Trump give his speech. They left the building after they were “yelled at by an armed tactical police team.” 

Two federal charges for mom. Two for her son. On June 15, 2023, mom gets fourteen days in jail. 

So does her boy. 

Reporters note that both mom and son listened to a great deal of Trump and Alex Jones, which probably killed a few brain cells. 

(Jesus – he’s another former Marine.) 

Trump supporters (both).

 

* 

“Proudest day of my life!”

768. SEAN DAVID WATSON: The Alpine, Texas man was turned into the F.B.I. by a co-worker after he bragged about being one of the attackers on Jan. 6. He also bragged about having been arrested by D.C. police the night before; and records confirm that arrest. A second witness told federal law enforcement authorities that Watson showed videos he had taken inside the Capitol and claimed, “I fucked shit up.” 

Watson is a slightly built fellow, who says he went to D.C. to hear Trump speak. In one picture he appears to be wearing a t-shirt, with the Three Percenter’s symbol. 

He at first denied going inside the Capitol, but a message sent from his phone the next day reads: “I am fine. I was one of the people that helped storm the capitol building and smash out the windows . We made history today. Proudest day of my life!” 

The next seven proudest days may be the seven he will spend in jail, or the 730 days he’ll spend on probation, or the various days on which he does community service. Or possibly the day he wrote out the check to pay $500 in restitution. (And he no doubt had fun paying for a lawyer!)

Trump supporter.

 

* 

Waynick Plumbing – “We’ll install your toilet or ruin democracy.” 

769-770. Jerry Waynick and Mark Waynick: Father, Mark, and son, Jerry, took part in the riot, with the younger Mr. Waynick showing up, intent on protecting his noggin’ and other body parts, dressed in “a red flannel shirt, tan tactical gloves with black knuckle protectors, a black tactical vest, and a black tactical helmet.” 

Like any other tourist, interested in the ways Congress works, dad showed up “attired in dark boots, blue jeans, black shirt, black tactical gloves with black knuckle protectors, a red/white/blue bandana around his neck, a black tactical vest, and a black tactical helmet.” 

The two men are among the first to attack police lines on that day, with young Waynick now sporting a pair of safety goggles of some kind. On one social media account, he describes himself as having “dropped out” of high school, having passed his GED, and as pursuing a nursing degree at Nashville State. 

Dad and son apparently both work at Waynick Plumbing. Between them, they faced six charges, three each, one felony for assault apiece. 

If you would like to go to the website AmericasFreedomFighters, you can hack a path through all the pop-up ads, and finally read about the unfair persecution of these two fine Tennessee men. 

Jerry opted for a trial in front of a judge. Didn’t do him much good. He was found guilty on all charges. 

(LIKELY TRUMP SUPPORTERS.)

 

* 

771. PHILIP WEISBECKER: The Ocean Beach, California man was turned in by two tipsters, after they saw pictures that he posted from inside the Capitol on the day of what one tipster called “the terrorist attack.” 

You can get a sense of where Mr. Weisbecker’s head was if you consider his Facebook posts. A screenshot of Tucker Carlson’s show is one. Another features “a photo of Joseph Biden with the caption: ‘THE REAL RACIST IS A DEMOCRAT.’” 

On at least two occasions, in February 2021, Weisbecker traveled to Mexico. On returning to the U.S. the second time, he was stopped by Customs and Border Patrol.” This did not sit well. “WEISBECKER was verbally abusive and uncooperative with.” He yelled profanities, and asked if agents were “communists,” “gay,” and enjoyed “patting him down.” He referred to one agent as “stupid,” a “cock sucker,” and a “communist pig.” 

We can also report that he did not believe Mr. Biden was “the legitimate president and that he traveled to Washington, D.C. to witness events firsthand.” 

He will now enjoy two years on probation, 30 days of weekend jail time, and pay $500 in restitution and a $2,000 fine. 

Trump supporter, he believed the “stolen election” lie.

 

* 

772. VICTORIA WHITE: Yep! Ms. White is a Trump supporter. She had the red MAGA cap. She proudly posted on Facebook: “WE THE PEOPLE.” 

(I think she forgets that those of us who voted for Biden are also “WE THE PEOPLE.” But anyway…) 

In the wake of her participation in the riot, a friend advised her to delete all her Facebook material related to the riot. White replied, “I’m not scared I was in the capitol DETAINED and they took my social security # name address they are coming for me. I am not afraid of them or anyone!! There I said it Come get me, You don’t know the story, it’s not what you think.” 

White is seen in photos and videos from that day. At one point she opposes rioters who are trying to break a glass window to gain entry to the Capitol. According to her charging document, “WHITE can be heard yelling at the individuals attempting to break the glass and she physically attempts to pull them away from the glass.” 

Not long after, she is seen in the midst of a large crowd, fighting to breach another entrance. Authorities explain: 

At approximately the 2:18 mark, after WHITE has pushed her way closer to the entrance, she helps hoist up another rioter, who then makes his way to the entrance and proceeds to assault the MPD officers. WHITE is seen pointing and cheering as the rioter swings from the top of the entranceway and kicks the MPD officers.

 

White is seen at the top of this picture – which the blogger includes only because the rioters have brought a sledgehammer.

 

White, upper left, circled in red.

White eventually pushes her way to the forefront of the mob – or gets pushed. She loses her MAGA hat. She loses her coat, which she had wrapped round her waist. She loses her shoes. Then she gets grabbed by officers, cuffed, and her information taken. 

The idea that this was a peaceful protest is negated by White’s own description of the battle to breach the Capitol at this location. 

Anyway, next think I know, we’re all pushing, everyone’s pushing to try to go to the next level, or so I assumed the next level. . . . So the doorway, people are trying to get through or push through. But when they are pushing, you have to understand, it’s like a mass of people. A lot of people crammed together and ya know the police are right there and they were like spraying everyone like aking them. And then I look at a police officer and I’m like, you took an oath to the Constitution, and apparently that didn’t sit so well with him, and he decided to hit me really hard on the head with a metal baton. And then the next thing I know there’s more hits coming, more mace coming at us, everyone there, and as they’re pushing, I end up going like into the police, which is kinda weird, and then the police push me back, and then it’s like I get ping ponged back. I don’t even know how to explain it, like it pushed back, ping ponged back. And I end up in the Capitol, inside the Capitol. And an officer had me put my hands behind my back, and he handed me off to someone else and off to someone else.

 

Ms. White originally faced four charges. 

In February 2023, she was accused of violating the terms of her pre-trial release, after she showed up again in D.C. There, she posted pictures of herself on social media, meeting with members of Congress. (The blogger can’t find any information on who the members might have been.) 

He can report, however, that on August 18, White pleads guilty to one felony charge. She joins 783 other rioters who have plead guilty or been convicted, so far. 

In December 2023, she gets the legal bill, so to speak, for believing in the Big Orange Liar. She’ll spend eight days in jail, on weekends. Then she’ll have to complete two years on probation, and pay $2,000. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

“Lucky enough to get within 20 rows of the stage.” 

773-774. DAVID WIERSMA and DAWN FRANKOWSKI: On January 6, as the riot died down, Wiersma allegedly posted to let friends know he was okay. He says he went to the Trump rally in the morning, and was “lucky enough to get within 20 rows of the stage.” We may assume he enjoyed the rabble-rousing speeches of Rep. Mo Brooks, Rudy Giuliani, and President Trump. He adds that from there “we” marched to the Capitol, went inside,  and remained for about 30 minutes. 

He then claims the riot was “staged by ANTIFA, BLM, and Capitol Police.” He appears to have three Facebook accounts. Agents noticed the same woman showed up in several pictures with Wiersma. A little digging revealed a social media account owned by “Dawn Maga.” When interviewed by F.B.I. agents, Frankowski admitted she and Wiersma went to D.C. to “support her president, Donald Trump.” 

They faced two charges each. 

In August 2022, both Wiersma and Frankowski agree to plead guilty to one misdemeanor charge, each. Frankowski gets probation, community service, and a bill for $1,250 in fines and restitution. Wiersma gets a similar sentence, but his bill for stupidity comes in at $2,000. 

And still: zero evidence the election was stolen.

Trump supporter (Wiersma). 

Trump supporter (Frankowski).

(CLAIMED TO SEE ANTIFA.)

 

* 

775-776. ZACHARY WILSON and KELSEY WILSON: What a bummer. Zachary Wilson tagged Kelsey in posts he made on January 6, in which he allegedly admits he and she were inside the Capitol during the riot. In one post, Zachary claims he was one of the first persons in, and that he and others found Pelosi’s office. 

According to the charging document in their cases, “Z. WILSON stated the reason he entered the U.S. Capitol was because he wanted his ‘voice to be heard’ as he was a strong supporter of President Donald Trump.” 

Kelsey pleads guilty and gets his with 30 days on home confinement, $500 in restitution, and the usual. Her husband will be spending 45 days in the slammer, himself, also writing a check for $500, and Mr. and Mrs. Wilson will both be visiting a probation officer. Let’s hope they get the same officer. 

(Trump supporters, Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Wilson.)

 

* 

777. JOHN WILKERSON IV: “Today was a good day, we got inside the Capitol,” Wilkerson posted on the evening of January 6, along with a picture of himself and two others seated at a D.C. bar. 

That post, and a tip to the F.B.I. proved enough to for authorities to gather evidence, charge Wilkerson, and convince him to plead guilty. It was also enough to land Wilkerson on probation for the next three years, for him to be ordered to pay $500 in restitution, and get stuck with a $2,500 fine. 

(POLITICAL AFFILIATION UNKNOWN.)

*

“I won’t sit idle while the nation is stolen.” 

778. LOGAN GROVER: This is another sad example of the kind of people who listened to Trump’s lies, and answered his call to come to D.C. on January 6, and save America, as they believed. 

Grover tells us who he is in a social media post: 

If you accept the reality that the election was stolen, than you cannot accept Biden as the new president – & neither can I… which is why I flew to DC yesterday. I fought for this nation. Brothers & Sisters lost limbs and life for this nation. I won’t sit idle while the nation is stolen in some insane, slow motion, treasonous insurrection. I’m not sure what to do at a rally and protest, it’s my first of both…  DC Democrats have activated national guard elements to reinforce local police against trump supporters, who have done nothing – strange that DC didn’t do that during the months of rioting, looting, arson & murder… I can’t see another video of families & children being attacked & terrorized by Antifa & BLM thugs, knowing that I could do something to prevent it. I have no interest in violence. Sadly, I recognize that violence is highly likely. I’m not certain what’s going to happen tomorrow. I am certain I need to be here.

 

Mr. Grover was charged with four misdemeanors, and agreed to plead guilty to one in July 2022. His belief in President Trump costs him $500 in restitution, lands him on probation for two years, and requires him to complete 100 hours of community service and sit on home arrest for 30 days. 

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

* 

“Caught up in the madness.”

779. TIMOTHY WAYNE WILLIAMS: As the charging document in his case notes: 

As detailed below, during the course of the investigation into the events of January 6, 2021, law enforcement learned that TIMOTHY WAYNE WILLIAMS (WILLIAMS) of Trinidad, Colorado traveled to the District of Columbia to participate in a rally and protest at the U.S. Capitol and gained entry inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

 

The FBI received an anonymous tip that identified WILLIAMS and his girlfriend as being inside the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

 

On March 17, 2021, in an interview with the F.B.I., Williams admitted he was inside. Sadly, he told agents, he had lost his job not long before because he refused to take a COVID test. He also said he had not participated in any violent attacks, nor had he damaged any property. 

This is America, and defendants have many rights in court. As they should. One court filing in Williams’ case, however, strikes prosecutors as cheeky. Through his lawyer, Williams requests that the following terms not be used during his trial: “anti-government extremism,” “breach,” “confrontation,” “insurrectionists,” “mob”  and “rioters.” Prosecutors ask the judge to reject his request – noting that Williams and others were, in fact, rioting. 

In a plea for leniency, during the sentencing stage of his case, his lawyer says Mr. Williams was “caught up in the madness” on January 6. He gets six months in jail, probation community service, and a bill for $500. 

Trump supporter.

 

* 

“F-bombing” Democrats. 

780. NANCY BARRON: Ms. Barron, 46, who hails from New Albany, Indiana, notified federal authorities, the day after the attack, and admitted she had entered the building, but was not arrested until March 2022. 

Not every rioter that day was dangerous, and not every rioter wanted to kill Americans to save America for Americans! 

Evidence shows Barron climbing the steps outside the Capitol, and shouting for others in the mob to “Go in” several times, followed by “Charge.” Later, she can be seen waving a large Trump flag on the terrace – because, of course, she would. In one video she films herself walking through the building, occasionally calling out, “Where is fuckin’ Pelosi?” or chanting, “Our house! This is our house!”  

Sen. Chuck Schumer also gets a Barron “f-bomb” mention. 

And, yes, she was wearing a black or dark blue stocking cap with the word “MAGA” in large white letters. 

On August 28, 1,028 days after the 2020 election – and still no evidence of voter fraud proven in any court – a jury does convict Ms. Barron on all four charges she faced. She ends up on probation for three years.

Trump supporter.

 

* 

Cousins who riot together. 

781. JARED CANTRELL: Jared, 38, and his two cousins, Eric (#782) and Quentin (#783) were all arrested in a bunch, like grapes on a rioters’ vine, in March 2022. On Facebook, on the day of the attack, Jared allegedly posted, “I was one of the first 50 in,” “forceful entrance” and “I do not think I broke any laws. I have not been to the (Capitol) before and was a big reason I went in the first place. I didn’t go over any barricades or push through any police,” according to court documents.   

What he did do, however, was get his ass arrested, then get convicted on three charges after a bench trial in April 2023, and now he awaits sentencing. For helping bust down a few doors, Jared gets hit for six months in jail, four months more on home confinement and fines and restitution to the tune of $8,500. 

(POLITICAL AFFILIATION UNKNOWN.)

 

* 

782. ERIC CANTRELL: Photos and phone records also placed Eric, 51, inside the Capitol. He gets hauled into court. 

He pleads guilty and he gets hit with probation, 40 hours of community service, and a bill for $1,500 in fines and restitution. 

(POLITICAL AFFILIATION UNKNOWN.)

 

* 

783. QUENTIN CANTRELL: Same as Eric, above, save for the fact that Quentin is 54. In one picture, he and Jared are seen, hoods up, stocking caps pulled down, dark glasses on, and the lower parts of their faces covered by neck gaiters. Each of the three is charged with four misdemeanors. 

Found guilty in April 2023, after a bench trial, Quentin gets six days in jail, but also a bill for $6,500.

(POLITICAL AFFILIATION UNKNOWN.)

 

* 

Young life ruined in service to a lie. 

784. AIDEN BILYARD: The Cary, North Carolina man, 19, faced eight charges for his role in the attack, including four felonies, one for assault with a deadly weapon. He was accused of spraying officers with a chemical irritant, orange-colored, and believed to be bear spray, and breaking a window with a bat.  

As far as his appearance on the day of the riot, it looked as if he were wearing a sweatshirt with the word “Harvard” on it. And if you believed in the mythic Antifa leaders, who “led” all these poor dopes to attack, he at least looked like he could be a leftist.

Mr. Bilyard.

In one photo from that day, you can see another rioter with a hatchet in his hand. When interviewed by the F.B.I., Bilyard claimed to have taken part only in legal activities on January 6, but when shown video evidence that appeared to prove otherwise, he told the agent, “I think this is where I take my leave,” and terminated the conversation. He was, at that time, in basic training for the Air Force, but has been separated since and has moved back home. 

Evidence garnered from his phone eventually lead to the arrest of Chris Carnell (#1011 on our list. We also learn that Bilyard was a huge fan of right-wing folks like Nick Fuentes, and attended multiple pro-Trump rallies. 

In a plea for leniency, during one court hearing, his defense offered by way of explanation, that the young man had grown up without a father – and found a father figure of sorts in Donald J. Trump! 

“Trump was larger than life to Aiden. Aiden believed Trump to be a strong leader, an independent thinker, and a no nonsense man who would stand up for his beliefs even if others disagreed.” 

What Trump was, was a colossal liar – and to this date there is no evidence the election of 2020 was stolen. 

And Bilyard, the young man, pays a stiff price. He pleads guilty in October 2022, and learns his sentence on March 17, 2023: Forty months in prison, 36 additional on probation, $3,500 in restitution. 

At announcement of the verdict, his mother, who was seating in court, interrupted loudly, saying, “That’s not right.” 

Prosecutors noted, however, that the brand of spray Bilyard deployed was: 

“Home Defense Pepper Gel.” Pepper gel is a chemical irritant that contains a concentration of the active ingredient capsaicin and is used in self-defense products. Pepper gel is thicker, easier to aim accurately, less likely to blow back onto the individual dispersing it, and is more potent than pepper spray. “Pepper spray not only has the potential to cause physical injury, but that is the very point of the device: it ‘is designed to cause intense pain.’” United States v. Mosley, 635 F.3d 859, 862 (6th Cir. 2011) (emphasis in original) 

Trump supporter, violent.

* 

Manipulated by President Trump.

 

785. MITCHELL TODD GARDNER II: Mr. Gardner, 34, came prepared for trouble on January 6, and sprayed police officers with chemical irritant. Unlike other rioters who used cans of spray, he was seen with what looked almost like a paint sprayer, with a large black reservoir and a gun-like trigger and nozzle. He was also charged with breaking a window which cost $2,900 to replace. 

Prosecutors have described the Florida man as “a de facto leader” of the mob that day. He had a wife at the time of the riot, and drove a 2017 BMW; but now he’s out one wife, and won’t be driving anything, anywhere, anytime soon. 

On June 29, 2022, Gardner plead guilty to three felony charges, and on March 17, 2023, he learned his fate. 

He will spend 55 months behind bars, another 36 months on probation, and will have to pay $3,500 in fines and restitution. 

UPDATE (11/27/23): In a new court filing, Inmate Gardner files a petition asking a judge to grant early release from prison. 

In his petition, he explains: 

This case involves a large group of hard working red blooded Americans that through the influence of the President of the United States felt obligated to act on his behalf and what he (President Donald J. Trump) would sell as the “founding fathers” behalf in “saving the republic”.

 

It is clearly established that although “someone says it’s true doesn’t mean it is”. However, in this case as stated above the “someone” was the then President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world who’s influence had been realized and utilized to manipulate others in carrying out his missions while staying above the “fray”. This was done while he influenced so many others including the petitioner to feel that it was an obligation or patriotic duty to ensure the saving of the republic and was an act of patriotism.

 

This influence by the President and so many other public figures lead to what would become the criminal actions taken by the petitioner on January 6, 2021.

 

True that, Inmate Gardner!

You are cooling your jets in jail because you fell for the constant stream of lies spewed by the man you mistakenly trusted in the White House. 

Trump supporter, violent, believed the election was stolen.

 

* 

786. RAECHEL GENCO: The arrest of Ryan Samsel (#188 on our list) eventually led federal investigators to Ms. Genco, who can be seen, allegedly, walking to the riot, hand-in-hand with Samsel toward the Capitol. 

She faced a single misdemeanor charge, and there was no evidence currently placing her inside the building. She earned a year on probation and community service for her involvement.

(POLITICAL AFFILIATION UNKNOWN.)

 

* 

787. DAVID JOSEPH GIETZEN: Mr. Gietzen was turned in to by someone who knew him in college. According to court records, 

On January 16, 2021, the FBI received a report about text messages in which GIETZEN and his brother indicated that they wanted to meet others at the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021, for the presidential inauguration. The report stated that their plan was to force their way in the Capitol building to force Congress to hold another election, and that the Gietzen brothers were also at the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

 

When interviewed by federal agents, Gietzen denied entering the Capitol, but he could be seen “wearing a green jacket, jeans, knee pads, and on occasion a white helmet and/or goggles. GIETZEN is seen consistently moving up and down the police line along the security gate barriers.” 

In one video from that day, Gietzen, who seems to lead the mob in attacking police lines, grabbed an officer by the face mask or throat. He faced three charges, including a felony for assault, and opted for a trial before a jury. On August 31, 2023, he was found guilty and awaits sentencing. 

By this blogger’s count, he is the 800^th rioter convicted for crimes committed during the attack.

 

FUN FACT: The right-wingers continue, to this day, to try to pin the blame for the attack on Capitol Hill on Antifa, etc. What did Gietzen say? 

“Btw they are trying give credit to storming congress on the news to antifa….BULLSHIT, I was there in the hallway helping to push the line of guards back,” he insisted in a social media post. “Today was 100% what happens when you piss of [sic] normal people, and the next protests is going even further.” 

Civil war, he claimed, was coming, and Biden Inauguration Day was the perfect time for a start: 

Unfortunately, it seems civil war is all but assured now. Word on the street is that the next rally is on the 20th, and people are bringing guns this time. This rally is with or without Trump. We aren’t his employee[s] and if he chooses to concede to election fraud, that is treason. There is no giving up permitted when it comes to the future of the world.

 

UPDATE: But he may have to wait to help. At sentencing on April 24, 2024, Gietzen made it clear where he still stands. “I have to make it explicitly known that I believe I did the right thing,” he says of his role in hitting police with a flagpole, and other acts. So the judge, a Trump appointee, gives him six years in jail to think about how he can join in civil war when he gets out. 

Gietzen leads the attack.

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen, violent.

 

  

* 

“Lives ruined for a lie.”

 

788. JOHN HUBERT GETSINGER JR.: Mr. and Mrs. Getsinger Jr. (#789) held hands while storming the Capitol, and were convicted together. The two Trump supporters said their arrests had ruined their lives. 

Mr. Getsinger later admitted, “We brought this on ourselves,” but he might have just as easily said, Trump brought it on the couple.

Trump supporter.

 

* 

789. STACIE ANN HARGIS-GETSINGER: Mrs. Hargis-Getsinger apologized in court for her participation in the January 6 riot. Both she and her husband, she said, had been fired from their jobs. She said that “their bank closed their accounts, their friends and relatives ostracized them and social media companies shut down their pages.” At airports, she has been subjected to lengthy screenings and “treated like a terrorist,” according to her lawyer. 

Of course, you could say she and her husband were. Both John and Stacie earn 60 days in jail, as a result of their involvement. They will serve their sentences consecutively, so as not to disrupt (totally) their family life.

Trump supporter, believed the election was stolen.

 

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Support the Constitution – and sexual assault? 

790. MATTHEW HONIGFORD: Mr. Honigford can be seen in one video from January 6, explaining to a line of police why he’d like to sexually assault Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. 

At the time of the riot, he was a member of the Ohio Army National Guard – so not your left-wing type. 

At one point, during the attack, Honigford and a police officer wrestle for control of a flagpole which the accused is using to push against officers. Honigford also announces that he is praying for the police. The Ottoville, Ohio man also used his body weight to push against a line of bike racks officers were using in an attempt to hold back the mob. He gets grabbed by the collar, but frees himself, and manages to carry one section of bike rack away and give it to others in the mob. 

After Biden was elected, Honigford made it clear he was concerned about the current state of the country, and stopped attending required Guard meetings and was reported as AWOL. 

He originally faced four federal charges related to his misguided participation in the January 6 attack. 

In one of the funnier moments, court documents reveal, 

that from approximately 2:44 to 2:46 p.m., Honigford repeatedly touched or attempted to touch Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers in the police line with his hands, stating he was praying for them. When officers asked Honigford to stop, Honigford responded, “How am I supposed to bless you guys?” Honigford continued to reach his hands out toward the officers until other rioters told him to stop, and he turned toward them to say, “I’m trying to f— pray, guys.”

 

“Fucking pray.” Gotta love it. 

On February 21, 2024, Honigford pleads guilty to a single charge of assault. In August 2024 he gets his bill: 19 months in prison, two years on probation, $2,000 owed to the federal government. 

Trump supporter, violent.

 

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“How misguided he was.” 

791. LEVI GABLE: Mr. Gable was clear in explaining why he was there, storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 (although he later denied ever having entered the building). According to one social media post, he said: 

I was among the first people to make our way into the US Capitol Building. Those in the building first were there in protest of Vice President Mike Pence’s statement that he would not stand with the American people and challenge the results of 2020’s stolen presidential election. The proof is undeniable for anyone who takes an objective look at the accusations of election fraud, provided you are looking somewhere other than the fake news and social media…

 

Fake news or not (and when I update this post on June 24, 2023, there has been no significant voter fraud shown in any court in 963 days since Trump got dumped by the American people), Gable pays the price for believing. Two years on probation, 45 days of house arrest, $1,500 in fines and restitution. 

At his sentencing, in April 2023, his lawyer explained that at the time of the riot, Gable “believed, as did many Americans, the falsehoods about the elections.”

 

“In hindsight,” Gable “sees how misguided he was in this thinking. He is truly regretful and deeply remorseful.” 

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

 

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792. ANDREW GALLOWAY: A tip to authorities led to Mr. Galloway’s arrest. On Jan. 6, he proudly noted on Tik Tok. “Yeah, that was us today; no that wasn’t Antifa.” 

When interviewed by law enforcement officers, he admitted entering the building. He has plead guilty to one misdemeanor. 

Result: 30 days in the slammer.

Trump supporter.

 

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A former captain in the U.S. Army. 

793. Jacob Garcia: According to court records, Garcia posted multiple videos in an effort to document his role in the attack. In one,

GARCIA states, “We just went ahead and stormed the Capitol. It’s about to get ugly.” Around him, a large crowd chants, “Our house!”

 

GARCIA advances from the rear of the area to the front of the standoff, where members of the Capitol Police (“USCP officers”) are positioned in a line. Just as GARCIA approaches the line of USCP officers, an unidentified woman is yelling at an officer, “You’re not on our side!”

 

GARCIA continues his advance, shifting around and past individuals so that he is at the very front of the crowd and directly opposite the line of USCP officers. As he maneuvers to the front of the line, GARCIA joins the crowd’s chant of, “USA!”

 

At minute 1:34, a man tries to run through the line of USCP officers. The officers respond with force, which prompts GARCIA to shout, “You fucking traitors! You fucking traitors! Fuck you!” As the USCP officers try to maintain positive control of the man that just rushed the police line, GARCIA yells, “grab him!” seemingly instructing the individuals around him to retrieve the man from USCP officers. GARCIA is holding a large American flag, which he drops into the skirmish in an apparent attempt to assist the individuals who are struggling with the USCP officers.

 

USCP officers maintain control of the line, holding out their arms to keep the crowd from advancing. At least one USCP officer deploys an asp. GARCIA turns the camera on himself and offers tactical observations regarding the standoff.

 

GARCIA is extremely close to the USCP officers, so close that their names are clearly visible in the video. GARCIA yells at minute 2:09, “You ain’t stopping a million. You ain’t gonna 4 hold a million back today. Sorry. Ain’t holding a million of us. And there’s more!” As GARCIA yells at the line of USCP officers, at least one additional officer deploys an asp in response. GARCIA then yells, “USA! Storm this shit!” As GARCIA yells, the USCP officers take defensive stances, holding up their arms and asps to stop him from advancing.

 

At minute 3:26, GARCIA, who is still in extremely close proximity to the USCP officer line again yells, “Fucking traitors!” He then joins the crowd chanting “Our house!” At minute 3:38, GARCIA states, “You ain’t stopping a million of us.” He then turns the camera to the crowd behind him and says, “Keep ‘em coming. Keep ‘em coming. Storm this shit.” GARCIA chants with the crowd, “USA!”

In another video, Garcia is heard, insisting loudly, “Nancy [Pelosi] come out and play.” As GARCIA continues to record, he shouts “whose house?” At minute 1:10, GARCIA again calls for “Nancy.” At the end of the video, GARCIA turns the camera on himself, and says, “Free Enrique.” 

Tarrio, he means. 

Sadly, Garcia is a former captain in the U.S. Army. He originally faced three charges, and agreed to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor.

Trump supporter.

 

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794. JOHN THOMAS GORDON: Many of the rioters traveled long distances to reach D.C. and get “wild,” as per President Trump’s instructions. Mr. Gordon had a shorter trip – perhaps a leisurely drive, from Martinsburg, West Virginia over to the nation’s capital. Mr. Gordon was identified as one of the rioters due to distinctive tattoos covering most of his pate. 

According to the charging document in his case, Mr. Gordon had plenty of experience in getting “wild.” 

“On March 25, 2021,” court records show, “a criminal history search for GORDON revealed that GORDON had several prior felony convictions in Pennsylvania and West Virginia for drug and firearms offenses.” F.B.I. agents also talked to a former girlfriend, who said she was “involved in a child custody dispute,” with the suspect. That individual said that  “GORDON returned from Washington, D.C. with a trash bag full of his clothing, which was covered in pepper spray.” 

Another Youtube video titled “Save America Protesters Attempt Entrance into Washington DC Capitol” showed a different angle of the same events. A man matching GORDON’s description could be seen, beginning at the 4:50 mark, taking a hard object from his jacket and repeatedly throwing it at the North Door until the 9:18 mark. During this time, GORDON could be seen in the video repeatedly kicking the doors in effort to destroy it to gain entry and yelling obscenities at the officers on the other side the North Door (inside the Capitol building) while the officers responded by pepper spraying GORDON and others.

 

He originally faced six charges, including one for felony civil disorder. That hard object has been described as a “weighted ball” or a “yard decoration.” 

In October 2022, he pleads guilty to a felony charge, but gets off relatively lightly. In March, he is sentenced to six months in prison, and socked with an order to pay $2,000 in restitution. 

(Prosecutors later said that the object Gordon was hurling could have been a “rock.” Gordon also played semi-professional baseball.)

 

The windup and the insurrectionist pitch.

 

(POLITICAL AFFILIATION UNKNOWN.)

 

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“President of the West Virginia Proud Boys.” 

795. JEFFREY FINLEY: Mr. Finley is the “president of the West Virginia Proud Boys,” and has already agreed to plead guilty to a single felony charge. (One suspects a plea deal and a willingness to help federal agents identify other rioters.) He has no previous criminal record. 

Mr. Finley can be seen in photos and videos from that day, wearing a skeleton face mask – but his real identity was revealed, in part, because in earlier photos from that day, he was wearing a gray-blue suit, which stood out in the mob. 

It would appear Finley was also orchestrating some of the violence that day. At 5 p.m., for example, he posted a profanity-laced video message to other Proud Boys. He said he had taken pictures with some of his riotous friends and that he was proud. (Aren’t Proud Boys always?) He wanted others to know what security measures were being taken, and warned, “we literally can’t get back in” and “crazy, crazy lockdown. If you guys come out, you’re not getting back in. That’s 100 %.” 

He gets 75 days in jail, probation and a bill for $500. 

Trump “sent us,” right-winger.

 

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A “tourist” with a taser. 

796. DILLON COLBY HERRINGTON: Alabama was well-represented at the riot by Herrington and others. Several pictures show the defendant throwing a large piece of lumber at police defending the Capitol. 

We later learn, it was a 4 x 4. 

Or as one Republican lawmaker has described the people who rioted – just a bunch of tourists, out for a stroll. 

When Herrington was stopped later on Capitol grounds, police found a large hunting knife protruding from his back pocket. At that time, he admitted he was also carrying a taser, which was also recovered. 

Records indicate Herrington is a U.S. Army veteran and a personal trainer. So, throwing lumber? Kind of a workout. 

In  early June 2023, possibly because of blown deadlines in the case, charges were dropped “without prejudice” against Mr. Herrington. 

That meant the case could be refiled at a later date. On June 23, Herrington sees the handwriting on the prison wall, and pleads guilty. 

In December 2023, the guillotine drops. Herrington gets sent to prison for 37 months, has to complete three more years of supervised release, and pay $2,000. 

Trump supporter, violent.

 

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797. JULIANO GROSS: Mr. Gross was identified as one of the rioters by individuals doing internet searches on their own. He is allegedly seen inside the Capitol in social media posts. He’s sporting a red “Make America Great Again” hat, and in Tik Tok videos (since deleted, but saved by others), he admonishes others “Stay ready everyone,” and “stay informed” He also posted links to videos like, “The Reason You Cannot Think,” and “what will happen on Jan 20^th?” 

Well, now we know. Joe Biden would take the oath of office, and Loser Donald would be out the door, and Juliano would face arrest. 

Mr. Gross has admitted entering the building, and said he traveled to D.C., driving from Kearney, New Jersey, with his mother. After listening to Trump speak, she went back to the car to warm up, but he headed for the Capitol. 

So, good trip with mom! Bad trip to court. He was charged with two misdemeanor counts, and plead guilty to one in December 2022. 

He ends up stuck on home confinement for 45 days, with a bonus of 100 hours of community service to perform, a bill for $500 restitution, and the chance to complete two years of probation.

Trump supporter.

(CLAIMED TO SEE ANTIFA.)

 

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798. MATTHEW JOHN BUCKLER: A tip from someone who knew Mr. Buckler, and phone records landed him in legal jeopardy. When interviewed by federal agents, he admitted he was inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. 

Cost: 14 days home incarceration, two years’ probation, sixty hours of community service and a $500 payment as restitution.

(NO OTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE.) 

 

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799. MARCOS “MARK” GLEFFE: It’s a long way from Elk Grove, Illinois to a riot in D.C., but Mr. Gleffe was willing to make the trip. He posted on social media on Jan. 5 that he would be live-streaming events the next day. “Go to Parler and search @fightthefraud Share away!! 

He was also seen in surveillance video carrying a “TRUMP 2020 MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” flag. 

Gleffe has since admitted he rented a car to drive to D.C., that he did attend the Trump rally, which was why he came, and that while there he heard others say, “We’re storming the Capitol.” 

So off he went with the crowd. He has said he had three flags – one American, two Trump. Gleffe also told authorities he made his “biggest mistake going through the door” to the building, and “would not do it again if I could go back.” 

He has plead guilty and paid the price: Three years’ probation, 60 days of home detention, community service and $1,000 in fines and restitution. 

Trump supporter, he believed the election was stolen.

 

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800. Frank R. Giustino: At least five different tipsters helped identify Giuistino, including an old high school classmate. In one Facebook post from January 6, “Frankie” is said to have reported: “Shooting tear gas at us at the Capital. Real nice civil servants.” Phone and photographic evidence put Giustino in the thick of the riot, and inside the Capitol Building by 2:32 p.m. that afternoon. 

It would appear that he is a massage therapist from Kings Park, New York, age 31, and now in a jam. 

He faced two charges, and plead guilty to one. 

Now, Giustino has changed his mind (even if he legally can’t). He has fired his attorney and declared himself a sovereign citizen. 

Just like that, he claims his conviction is nullified, based on the “deviant oaths of the Chief ‘Judges’ who have been officiating over this prosecution.” 

In fact, in court, Giustino begins acting in such an “uncivil and obstreperous” fashion, as the judge puts it, that prosecutors ask for an enhanced sentencing, four times longer, than originally suggested.

Giustino now wishes to revoke his plea agreement.

Right-wing type.