The Justice Department has confirmed that at least 1,000 persons have been detained in connection with the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and that over half of them still face the possibility of trials or plea deals. This marks an important step in the prosecution of the incident.
An already-largest prosecution in American history is being expanded by a fresh wave of cases, many of which involve more serious allegations of crimes against police.
The most recent instances continue to provide fresh information and supporting evidence regarding suspected criminal activities within the riotous mob 26 months into the criminal inquiry.
A little over half of the men and women accused of federal offenses in connection with the attack on January 6 have pleaded guilty in their cases. But, when cases are resolved, new accusers and allegations keep coming forward, which could prolong the whole prosecution until at least 2024. The FBI is looking for at least 260 more suspects in the attack, according to the Justice Department’s most recent statement.
Two men from North Carolina were charged on Monday by the Justice Department with searching through desks in the US Senate Chamber. According to the prosecution complaint, one defendant allegedly took a picture of a printed copy of a speech by Utah senator and former presidential critic Mitt Romney.
Prior to Romney’s guilty vote against Trump in the first impeachment trial of the former president, the speech was given in February 2020. In prosecution documents submitted by the Justice Department, Romney claimed that he had written the name Mike at the top of the speech and signed it.
According to a Romney spokesperson, the name Mike was shared in February 2020 and was a nod to either his colleague Sen. Mike Rounds, Republican of South Dakota or Sen. Mike Lee, Republican of Utah.
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Justice Department Files Charges Against Additional Defendants
Only 88 senators were present in the Senate Chamber when the mob assaulted the Capitol and a lockdown was mandated, a US Capitol Police sergeant testified in the February trial of Capitol riot defendant Noah Bacon. The sergeant, who was giving testimony as a witness for the prosecution, claimed that two cops were dispatched outside to conduct reconnaissance for an escape route as they looked for a means to safely flee the threat.
A former New Jersey state trooper, the sister of a Chicago police officer, and a Florida man accused of donning a panda costume while in the middle of the mob are among the most recent defendants to be charged.
In the first two years of prosecutions, the Justice Department had amassed a practically spotless record in Capitol riot trials. Only one defendant, a guy from New Mexico who asked for a bench trial in which there was no jury and the judge reached the decision, was completely exonerated. Matthew Martin, the defendant, said he was unaware he was in a prohibited area on January 6.
