In his mind, New York City sanitation worker Dominick Madden may have been Mel Gibson's Scottish warrior in "Braveheart"—with a QAnon hoodie and a Donald Trump flag rather than a kilt and a sword. But court papers depict him as just another rioter hopped up on conspiracy theories and tramping around inside the U.S. citadel of democracy.
The FBI arrested Madden in Brooklyn on Thursday, less than a week after the New York Post first identified him as a man under federal investigation as a city worker caught on video during the U.S. Capitol siege.
Cited in an affidavit supporting Madden's criminal complaint, the Post article tipped off an FBI agent to request footage from Capitol Police to further their investigation. Agent Michael Attard had been looking for whether the man in the same QAnon hoodie seen in the Post's article entered the building.
A 22-year-old Trump supporting Texas man has been charged for his role in the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6. Like many other defendants, Nolan Cooke made the investigative work easy for the FBI, documenting his whereabouts, identity and activities on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
Cooke has been hit with federal charges, including: acts during civil disorder; entering/remaining on restricted buildings or grounds & disorderly/disruptive conduct in or near restricted building or grounds; and unlawful activities on Capitol grounds.
Upon conviction, the first charge—18 U.S.C. § 231(a)(3)—is punishable by a fine or not more than five years in prison, or both.
A New Jersey woman has been identified as yet another defendant in the D.C. insurrection. Rasha Abual-Ragheb was charged after she allegedly showed a person a picture of herself inside the Capitol Building.
The defendant allegedly told investigators details of her life story, including that she fled the Lebanese Civil War as a child, went to the nation of Jordan, and then moved to the United States, where she has resided for 21 years. Now, Abual-Ragheb is a Donald Trump supporter who faces charges in connection with the Jan. 6 riot. The feds say she believed that a "civil war is coming."
An employee with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allegedly participated in the D.C. insurrection. Kevin Strong is charged in a newly unsealed affidavit. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said he was already on their radar before the Jan. 6 raid on the Capitol Building.
The feds said they began investigating Strong on Dec. 30 after a witness told authorities he had started acting differently. According to this account, Strong was stock-piling items, telling people to prepare for martial law, rioting, and protests. He was also big on the QAnon conspiracy theory, and thought World War 3 was going to start on January 6, 2021, authorities said.
Strong was charged for knowingly entering or remaining on Capitol grounds without lawful authority, and with intent to impede or disrupt Congress. He was also charged for uttering loud, threatening, or abusive language, or engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct and for parading, demonstrating, or picketing inside the Capitol.
Speaking of his client, Watkins told St. Louis television station KSDK on Thursday that Chansley "regrets very, very much having not just been duped by the president, but by being in a position where he allowed that duping to put him in a position to make decisions he should not have made."
He referred to Chansley as "the guy with the horns and the fur, the meditation and organic food."
The comment about food was a reference to Chansley's alleged hunger strike on account of being fed only non-organic food behind bars.
He said "months of lies" and "misrepresentations and horrific innuendo and hyperbolic speech" by Trump were "designed to inflame, enrage," and "motivate" the mob on Jan. 6. "What's really curious is the reality that our president, as a matter of public record, invited these individuals, as President, to walk down to the Capitol with him."
Colorado resident Jeffrey Sabol, who grew up in New York, allegedly was among the rioters who attacked a cop during the Jan. 6 riot before looking to flee the country to Switzerland and attempting suicide in Westchester to avoid facing prosecution for his role in the attack at the Capitol.
Sabol, age 51, is currently being held without bail following his first court appearance this week in White Plains federal court.
It is alleged that while in Westchester, Sabol purchased a plane ticket to Zurich, where there is no-extradition back to the country. He was arrested on Friday at the Westchester Medical Center where he was recovering from the suicide attempt.
"I'm sorry for what Mr. Sabol has been through since he left the Capitol but I think, your honor, that his suicide attempts can be taken as consciousness of guilt and in some respect really the ultimate flight attempt," a U.S. Attorney said during the court appearance. "This is a man who just can't face the fact that he is facing a felony charge because of his actions on Jan. 6."
Hard to comprehend zip tie guy being out on bail.These people getting released before trial boggles my mind... Especially zip-tie guy. FFS.
And the thing is, I can only agree with the people pointing out the double standard that applies between white and black people. This makes me sick.
A federal magistrate judge in Tennessee on Friday ordered the pretrial release of a man who allegedly entered the Senate chamber during the Capitol riot while carrying a taser and zip-tie handcuffs
The decision to allow Eric Munchel, 30, to await trial in home detention is one of at least five cases where magistrate judges around the country have rejected arguments from prosecutors that alleged participants in the storming of the Capitol should be detained pending trial.
"I have no reason to believe Mr. Munchel is part of an organized, collective action against the government," Frensley said. "The court believes ... Mr. Munchel does not pose an obvious and clear danger to the safety of this community."
"I've made my decision," the magistrate said. "I'm comfortable and confident that the rulings I've made in this case are correct."
Prosecutors stressed Munchel's boisterous behavior in the Senate, shouting phrases such as, "I want that f---ing gavel!"
"He clearly possesses views that are extreme if he was willing to participate in that sort of conduct," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Schrader said. "There's no reason to think he wouldn't engage in this conduct in the future. I have no idea what form that would take. He has shown the court what he is willing to do in stark terms."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset sought to present evidence that on the night of the riot, Munchel threatened and put his hands on a Bloomberg News reporter at a Washington, D.C., hotel. However, Frensley said the evidence portion of the hearing was over and he declined to consider it.
A Texas man who participated in the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January has been charged with threatening to "assassinate" the New York Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Garret Miller of Texas faces five criminal charges arising from his participation in the pro-Trump riot, including "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted buildings or grounds without lawful authority" and making threats.
Broden said: "Mr Miller regrets the actions he took in a misguided effort to show his support for former President Trump. He has the full support of his family and has always been a law abiding citizen.
"His social media comments reflect very ill-considered political hyperbole in very divided times and will certainly not be repeated in the future. He looks forward to putting all of this behind him."
n a 15 January Facebook chat, Miller allegedly wrote that he was "happy to make death threats so I been just off the rails tonight lol" and was "happy to be banned now [from Twitter]". Asked if police knew his name, he allegedly wrote: "t might be time for me to … Be hard to locate."
The Washington Post, meanwhile, reported that the FBI and Department of Justice were considering not charging some of the hundreds of people arrested over the riot.
It was "a politically loaded proposition", the paper said, "but one alert to the practical concern that hundreds of such cases could swamp the local courthouse".
Federal authorities have been successfully using social media to identify and arrest participants in the assault on the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, but one Texas native may have made it a bit too easy for prosecutors to show that he knowingly engaged in criminal activity: he literally posted a selfie saying he intended to "incriminate" himself.
According to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Miller publicly chronicled his thoughts and actions prior to, during, and after the insurrection so thoroughly that the charging document is essentially a recitation of his own Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Miller was also active on social media during the insurrection, posting multiple location-tagged videos and photographs, including one of himself and another man inside the Capitol Rotunda.
Miller's antics did provide fodder for Yale Law School professor Scott Shapiro, who sarcastically wrote that he teaches his students "not to confess to crimes online."
John Eastman, the law professor who "resigned" (or "retired") from Chapman University after speaking at then-President Donald Trump's "Save America" rally on Jan. 6, on Saturday morning argued that what happened later that same day at the U.S. Capitol was in no way incited by the words he used alongside Trump at the rally.
Eastman's representation of Trump has caused controversy. The university told him to stop using his school email and address in pro-Trump court papers late last year. After the siege on the capitol, Chapman University President Daniele C. Struppa said "Eastman's actions are in direct opposition to the values and beliefs of our institution." The next day, Struppa said he would not act as if he were "above the law" by firing Chapman; four days after that, he announced Chapman was retiring.
Smerconish noted that Rudy Giuliani warned of "trial by combat" during the "Save America" rally. Smerconish then cited Donald Trump's comments which encouraged rally goers to walk to the capitol. Then, he played Eastman's own comments at the rally.
"We no longer live in a self-governing republic if we can't get the answer to this question. This is bigger than President Trump. It is the very essence of our republican form of our government and it has to be done," Eastman said with reference to stopping the certification of Joe Biden as victor. "And anybody that is not willing to stand up to do it does not deserve in the office. It is that simple."
Last year, Eastman authored a legally bizarre opinion piece in Newsweek. It wildly suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris was ineligible to serve in the position she now holds because her parents were immigrants who had not yet obtained citizenship when Harris was born in Oakland, Calif., in 1964. Eastman said Constitution was "originally understood" to exclude candidates of Harris's background. Here's how Eastman framed his poorly received, widely criticized, and legally debunked argument:
The white criminal justice system is hard to comprehend, yes.
Bail is a thingZip tie guy is out? WTF is justice? This is crazy inconsistent too.
BailZip tie guy is out? WTF is justice? This is crazy inconsistent too.
Why were they allowed to post bail?
Money talks
the bail that the court system keeps if they skip an appearance
So letting a terrorist post bail is worth a few thousand bucks. Cool.
Capitalism is flawedSo letting a terrorist post bail is worth a few thousand bucks. Cool.
The government is based on capitalism? Cool.
Yes
It generally isn't for terrorists.
Not for violent insurrectionists.Thus is how the justice system is supposed to work. Just never does for brown people. This is all anyone wants.the system is right there.
and risk shaming their name?!?!?Are the terrorists at least forced to stay at home while out on bail? Or are they allowed to go out and mingle with their community to potentially spread more violence and hatred?
It generally isn't for terrorists.
Not for violent insurrectionists.
yes there are huge lobbies for many industries. $3.5 billion dollars worth of political influence.
This is why I didn't want to celebrate the arrest of any of these terrorists. Now this thread will turn into a source of anger as many if not all of them will get away with just a slap on the wrist.
A federal judge has blocked the release of Eric Gavelek Munchel, 30, the D.C. insurrection defendant better known as "zip tie guy." There's a still a chance he could be released pending trial, but Beryl A. Howell, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, wants to review a Tennessee magistrate judge's prior decision.
In light of this chaos, the image of Munchel was certainly freaky, but U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffery S. Frensley ordered his release on bail. Under questioning from the court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Schrader acknowledged that there was no evidence Munchel had any negative interactions with law enforcement.
Frensley admitted his ruling was "counterintuitive," but noted that videos showed Munchel showing deference to police officers. The defendant showed "apparent and clear respect for law enforcement," he said.
"Mr. Munchel is entitled to his opinions," he said. "They are protected by the Constitution. He doesn't have a right to do what he did, but that's an issue for another day."
"You stand accused of conspiring to murder congressional members in an attempt to overthrow our democracy." "Here's twenty dollars." "Thank you. I release you to hang out at home until we figure out a trial." "Coo'."
Well, at least the federal judge has a modicum of sense.No Freedom for 'Zip Tie Guy': Judge Blocks Release of Eric Gavelek Munchel
A Donald Trump-loving gym owner who authorities say attacked a police officer during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is the son of a deceased New Jersey trooper and has a brother in the U.S. Secret Service, HuffPost has learned.
Scott Kevin Fairlamb, the owner of Fairlamb Fit and a former ultimate fighter, is the son of retired New Jersey Trooper Preston "Jay" Fairlamb Jr., who died in a 2012 motorcycle crash. Michelle Obama, the first lady at the time, attended a memorial service for the elder Fairlamb because his other son, Preston "Jay" Fairlamb III, had led her Secret Service detail. Obama even mentioned Preston Fairlamb III in her recent memoir, writing that they "became real friends" and shared stories and jokes.
A website for Scott Fairlamb's 2019 wedding lists his best man as "Jay," and one acquaintance confirmed that the longtime Service Service agent was in his brother's wedding party. Multiple sources and public records confirm their relationship.
There's no indication that Preston Fairlamb III, who is listed on LinkedIn as resident agent-in-charge of the Trenton, New Jersey, office of the Secret Service, was aware of his brother's activities at the Capitol this month. The criminal complaint against Scott Fairlamb, authored by an unnamed FBI agent, does not give any specific sign that Agent Fairlamb helped bring his brother to justice.
I see he didn't actually get released (what they found on him was crazy) but the below is in general for most of these people being arrested.These people getting released before trial boggles my mind... Especially zip-tie guy. FFS.
And the thing is, I can only agree with the people pointing out the double standard that applies between white and black people. This makes me sick.
Cop's Son Who Punched Officer In Capitol Attack Has A Brother In The Secret Service
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Well, that's not disturbing at all...
Today William McCall Calhoun, the Georgia attorney who allegedly said he was among the first who "kicked in Nancy Pelosi's office door" and that Pelosi would've been "torn into little pieces" if the mob found her during the Capitol siege, had a bail hearing. He was arrested on January 15 and charged with entering a restricted building or grounds; violent entry or disorderly conduct; and tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant for his role in the January 6th insurrection. It looks as though Calhoun will be staying behind bars as U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Weigle denied his request for bail.
Also presented to the judge was Calhoun's social media presence across Twitter, Facebook, and Parler, which reportedly reveals violent impulses:
"Calhoun also repeatedly expressed his desire for "violent retribution against the media and the Democrats," and told one Black Lives Matter supporter on Twitter that they "won't be laughing when patriots go door to door executing you commies."
One such post, apparently taking up white knight status for the honor of Tiffany Trump, Calhoun promised "headshots" for certain members of the media who were apparently poking fun at her."God is on Trump's side," the veteran lawyer wrote in a separate post. "God is not on the Democrats' side. And if patriots have to kill 60 million of these communists, it is God's will.""Think ethnic cleansing but it's anti-communist cleansing," he added.
"We've got to get serious about stopping them with the force of arms," Calhoun said in yet another post cited by the government. "I'm a lawyer saying these things."
But the judge ultimately decided Calhoun presented too much of a risk to the community, saying, "He has been corrupted by or seduced by dangerous and violent ideology that considers the United States to be in a state of civil war, that considers every Democrat to be worthy of execution, that considers every member of the government part of a Deep State."
The judge continued (as documented by Law & Crime's Colin Kalmbacher), making a clear case against release:
"When you and your friends went in there and tore the place to shreds, killed five people, including a police officer, you showed that there was nothing would hold you back except force…"
"And if you don't respect the Capitol Police, if you don't respect the Capitol Building of the United States, there's no reason to believe you would respect anything I would tell you to do." Judge says he would fear for the life of a probation officer sent to check up on Calhoun…The judge concludes: "Again, because of the corrupting and dangerous ideology that has poisoned this man's mind, I wouldn't trust him to do anything I told him to do. He probably considers me scum who deserves a headshot. So, no, I'm not gonna release him."
Calhoun faces over 20 years in prison for the charges.
I can feel this judge's frustration that a member of the profession was involved. Some folks may be able to raise a defense that they didn't understand what was really happening, but some folks such as a licensed attorney are expected to know better.No Bail For Lawyer Arrested In Capitol Insurrection As Judge Says: 'He Probably Considers Me Scum Who Deserves A Headshot. So, No, I'm Not Gonna Release Him.'
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Words matter? Well, what do you know! If this dude catches the max, he's likely dying in prison. For Trump.
The one that disturbs me the most is the black one on the left near the 20 marker. Short barrel, magazine fed, underbarrel laser. Looks to be some type of SMG, but unless he got the proper paperwork (which I somehow doubt), it's probably semi-auto only with no stock and sold as a "handgun". Not really liking his ownership of "29" with it's high power scope and bipod either. The rest of it's pretty "meh": lever-action rifle, double barrel shotgun, semi-auto rifle whose make I don't recognize, 3 pistols, bolt-action rifle, AR-15 with scope, a revolver, "29", and I think another AR-15. Can't really make out what leaning against the bed. I've seen bigger collections by gun nuts.
And the zip ties are in case they run into bears.
Honestly, I agree. What looks like an SMG is the only thing that worries me. I know leftists with half the amount the type of weapons this guy had...The one that disturbs me the most is the black one on the left near the 20 marker. Short barrel, magazine fed, underbarrel laser. Looks to be some type of SMG, but unless he got the proper paperwork (which I somehow doubt), it's probably semi-auto only with no stock and sold as a "handgun". Not really liking his ownership of "29" with it's high power scope and bipod either. The rest of it's pretty "meh": lever-action rifle, double barrel shotgun, semi-auto rifle whose make I don't recognize, 3 pistols, bolt-action rifle, AR-15 with scope, a revolver, "29", and I think another AR-15. Can't really make out what leaning against the bed. I've seen bigger collections by gun nuts.
Zip ties for cable management. Duck hunt may be causing him to trip.
No Bail For Lawyer Arrested In Capitol Insurrection As Judge Says: 'He Probably Considers Me Scum Who Deserves A Headshot. So, No, I'm Not Gonna Release Him.'
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Words matter? Well, what do you know! If this dude catches the max, he's likely dying in prison. For Trump.