Nearly a dozen new well-known defendants have been arrested or charged nationwide, and the Department of Justice has clearly shown that it is throwing its weight in pursuing major cases that could amount to the most extensive terrorist investigation since September 11, 2001.
The new arrests Wednesday brought the total number of new federal criminal cases to 32 by nightfall, with hundreds more individuals being sought or investigated.
Over the past week, investigators have tracked down some of the most striking faces of the riot. On Wednesday, a federal court filed public charges against two Virginia police officers who shared a photo of themselves on social media in front of a statue of a Revolutionary War general in the Capitol.
Many of the newly accused drew attention to themselves by posing for photos that were circulated on the internet or identified (or identified) on social media. Some even admitted their involvement with the FBI.
The unfolding new business is still largely focused on people caught up in photos or videos.
Evidence indicates planning, says law enforcement
Attention is likely to turn to potentially more serious charges in the coming weeks.
This has led to more complicated investigations, where prosecutors of public integrity and national security have come together to approach the investigation like a vast terrorist probe.
The presence of corruption prosecutors and agents is partly due to their expertise in financial investigations. “We are following the money,” the official said.
The FBI reported by Wednesday morning that it had received more than 126,000 digital tips from the public regarding the attack on the Capitol and that it was watching online chats.
Among the tips the FBI has received are a number that appear to show members of Congress along with people who later showed up at the riot in the Capitol, two law enforcement officials said. That does not mean members of Congress and staff are being investigated, but the FBI is investigating the truth of the claims, officials said.
Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online.
A few cases made clear the level of danger surrounding the Capitol last week. In particular, it is alleged that two defendants, Cleveland Meredith Jr. and Lonnie Coffman, brought arsenals to the city with an interest in joining a so-called war.
Coffman received one of the first indictments from a grand jury in connection with the riot, and is now facing 17 criminal charges, mainly for possession of multiple weapons, including ammunition, shotgun shells and various rifles, including a gun, a rifle, three handguns and 11 Molotov cocktails without registration on January 6 in Washington, DC, according to the indictment.
He allegedly parked his truck with bomb blocks from the Capitol building before Trump’s rally after living in the truck in DC for about a week. In court documents regarding Coffman, prosecutors revealed that they found handwritten notes of a quote from Abraham Lincoln about the overthrow of ‘the men who pervert the Constitution’, telephone numbers for right-wing personalities, including Senator Ted Cruz and Sean Hannity, and a list which is called a federal label. judge a ‘bad man’ and a member of Congress as a Muslim. He pleaded not guilty and is in jail awaiting trial.
Meredith allegedly made threats in a text message and had 2,500 ammunition, an assault rifle and another rifle with him in the city.
He arrived in Washington, DC, after the pro-Trump rally, and allegedly cheerfully texted about the shooting of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. According to prosecutors, he was talking about “wartime” against lawmakers as the congressional confirmation of Joe Biden, as the president-elect, approached, according to court statements Wednesday.
“The accused sent a text with the words ‘We are going to surround DC and slowly gather’,” prosecutors remarked and argued for his detention. “Apparently under the impression that law enforcement officers are monitoring his communication, the accused later sends a text in which he says: “I am harmless … I will not shoot until SIR is ordered!” “
Once Meredith was in town, he allegedly assaulted a person with head and head, prosecutors added.
“His threats were graphic – he threatened to shoot a public official on live television, to put a bullet in her head. His threats were vulgar and misogynistic. What’s more, the defendant clearly enjoyed violence. suggest what he describes as’ fun ‘and’ target exercise ”, they write in his detention note.
DOJ wants to keep people off the streets …
Some of the arrests that have been made are at least part of a strategy used in terrorist investigations – to find even a minimal charge to take a person off the street. This could help officials ease concerns about possible attacks on the inauguration.
Authorities tried this once before the pro-Trump rally in Washington last week, when they arrested the leader of the right-wing group the Proud Boys, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, for burning a Black Lives Matter -banner.
Law enforcers then said they found two high-capacity firearms magazines, which filed additional charges. And this week, federal authorities in New York arrested a man on a charge of weapons after investigators posted online about an armed caravan on its way to the U.S. capital.
But its strategy can have limitations
The Department of Justice may violate the potential limits of the law because they try to keep people locked up – with Meredith as their first challenge.
The possibility arose Wednesday when a judge backed down on their request to detain him.
Meredith’s lawyer argued that according to the law, it was not enough to keep him locked up because of ‘dangerous’ danger.
“Congress has limited the government’s ability to request detention,” Meredith’s attorney wrote in court Wednesday afternoon, arguing the restrictions on the bail reform law that reasons why defendants can be held in jail must be because it is a flight risk is, possibly obstructive or charged with crimes of violence, a drug offense or an offense that could earn life sentence or death.
Meredith’s lawyer argued that he should be released pending his trial.
Meredith has not yet been charged, and was arrested last week on a criminal charge alleging that he illegally possessed weapons and made the threats.
He is still being held and will appear before Judge Michael Harvey in Washington, DC, on Thursday to determine whether he should remain in custody.
CNN’s Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.