In a criminal complaint, an FBI agent described how the group ‘moved close to each other’ inside the Capitol on January 6 and wore pieces of fluorescent orange garment on their clothes or equipment.
Some are accused of having a large crowd of rioters as they pushed through several police lines and moved through the Capitol site. They all wore tactical equipment, including helmets and gloves. One had a wooden knob or ax handle that was initially disguised as a flag.
Authorities arrested the men and women in the early hours of Thursday morning. William Chrestman, Louis Enrique Colon and Christopher Kuehne were arrested near Kansas City, Missouri, and Cory and Felicia Konold, brother and sister, were arrested, according to the Arizona Department of Justice.
All but Chrestman are charged with conspiracy to commit conspiracy – the largest number of organized activities by a massive federal investigation – and highlighted the government’s focus on the Proud Boys, several of whom have been charged in recent weeks. Chrestman is charged separately with conspiracy, but is grouped by an FBI agent in an affidavit with the others.
The conspiracy charge is likely to increase. In a footnote in the affidavit, the FBI agent said they believe more people may be involved in the conspiracy and that an investigation is underway.
Known for their aggressive man-rights philosophy and clashes with Antifa, the Proud Boys have become a central target for prosecutors in Washington as they compile the scope of coordinated activities at the Capitol. Some well-known members of the group have been arrested in the past month and investigators have built up complaints related to their fundraising efforts before the uprising.
During their presentation in the Senate, the executives mention the role of well-known Proud Boys in the violence and try to connect them with Trump, who during the 2020 campaign refused to condemn them.
The five people arrested on Thursday are not explicitly described as members of the group, but their commitments are set out in detail.
In a video posted to Felicia Konold’s Snapchat account by authorities, a female speaker celebrates that she has just “recruited a chapter of Kansas City” and shows a challenge coin with apparent Proud Boys marks.
On January 6, the five are seen in a video leading to the Capitol march in a group led by two Proud Boys organizers, according to the charge.
In another video from that day, Chrestman and Felicia Konold parade in Washington’s famous Constitution Avenue in a group with the two organizers shouting “Whose streets? Our streets,” reads the complaint.
The FBI agent also notes that Kuehne carried roles of the orange band that were “strategically worn by each of the subjects as well as others in the crowd.”
“Based on my training and experience, you believe that the member of the group was the use of orange tape by several members in the crowd to identify people for a particular purpose. The intent and purpose of this identifying tape is still being investigated, “wrote the agent.
Inside the building, a surveillance video is shown of the group moving nearby and giving a signal to coordinate their efforts. ‘
It is seen that four of the five block the descent of metal barriers that the police tried to lower in an attempt to close off areas within the Capitol.
In photos taken in the court documents, Felicia Konold is seen holding one of the obstacles with her hand. Kuehne apparently placed a podium in the tracks of another barrier, the complaint reads.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.