Federal prosecutors charged six members of the Jurists militia, which the government added as co-defendants to an existing indictment for three alleged Oath Guardians. Seven of the group were part of a tactical “stack” of people dressed in combat gear pushing crowds into the Capitol, the government said.
The nine were charged by a grand jury with charges that included conspiracy to obstruct, influence, or impede an official process, destruction of property, and restricted charges of buildings or grounds. The indictment also charges two men with obstructing the investigation.
Prosecutors say the group dressed in paramilitary equipment and used military-style tactics (keeping their hands behind their backs to communicate as they climbed the stairs of the Capitol) and coordinated with other security guards. before and during the attack, using applications such as MeWe and Zello. .
The six accused Friday are Ohio residents Sandra Parker, 60, and Bennie Parker, 70, and Florida residents, Kelly Meggs, 52, Connie Meggs, 59, and Graydon Young, 54, and North Carolina resident Laura Steele, 52. Thomas Caldwell, 65, Jessica Watkins, 38, and Donovan Crowl, 50, are also included in Friday’s new indictment, though all three had already been indicted by a grand jury in January.
The Oath Guardians are a poorly organized collection of militias, prosecutors say, that focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first aid. The group believes the federal government has been “co-opted by a conspiratorial shadow trying to strip its rights of American citizens,” prosecutors say, and the group’s name comes from the oath of members of the military and forces. of the order to defend Constitution “of all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
The complaint details an email sent on January 4 from oathkeepers.org, with a subject “Call to Action: Oath Keepers Deploying to DC to Protect Events, Speakers, and Attendees January 5-6: It’s Time to stop “. The email indicated that the group would have “well-armed and well-equipped QRF teams on hold,” referring to the military acronym for “rapid reaction force,” in the event of a scenario “in which the president calls us as a party. of the militia by [sic] help it inside DC “.
The email also said, “As always, as we conduct security operations, we’ll have some of our men in ‘gray man’ mode without the Oath Keepers’ equipment being activated. For every Jury you see, n ‘there are at least two I don’t see’.
Prosecutors described the group’s coordination before the attack. Kelly Meggs, the self-described leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, allegedly organized combat training and firearms for him and other people in Florida. Sandra and Bennie Parker traveled with Watkins and Crowl from Ohio to Washington, DC, and discussed their plans in the weeks leading up to the attack.
Prosecutors say Meggs, who is the general manager of a car dealership, wrote in a message on Facebook: “Trump said he will be wild !!!!!!! He will be wild !!!!!!! we do SAVED ONLY is what he is saying. He called us all to the Capitol and he wants us to do it wild !!! Sir Yes, sir !!! Gentlemen, we are going to DC with your cats !! “
Steele sent a five-page document that appeared to be an online application to the Florida Oath Keepers on Jan. 3, according to prosecutors. In the document, he wrote: “I have 13 years of law enforcement experience in North Carolina. I worked as a K-9 officer and a member of the SWAT team. I currently work in private armed security. [company name redacted]. I am a PPS licensed through North Carolina Private Protection Services. “
Seven members of the group, including Watkins and Crowl, stayed at the same hotel the night before the attack. In the days leading up to Jan. 6, Watkins, the self-described commanding officer of the Ohio State Regular Militia, sent messages to people he tagged on his phone as recruits, including Bennie Parker. He advised Parker to pack khaki or brown pants, advised him that the weapons were “okay” to carry, and told him he would “make a convoy at Virginia Rally Point” on January 5th.
When Parker expressed concern about safety and parking, she responded, “Parking is no problem, if you drive with the militia, we have a guarded meeting point.”
The group drew attention for its “stacked” tactical training, which experts quickly identified as a military-style strategy, and which have been a top priority for the U.S. prosecutor’s sedition working group.
Watkins sent a text message to Parker on Jan. 9: “I’ve followed the FBI’s wish list. It seems they’re only interested in people destroying things. I wouldn’t care for them to come after us.”