Federal prosecutors on Friday indicted two New York members of far-right group The Proud Boys after they said the men conspired to prevent law enforcement from protecting the U.S. Capitol. While more than 170 people have been accused of connecting with the Assault on January 6 at the United States Capitol, only a handful have been charged with conspiracy.
In a press release, prosecutors said Dominic Pezzola, 43, of Rochester, New York, and William Pepe, 31, of Beacon, New York, removed metal barricades and stole property from police. of the Chapters. Investigators said Pezzola also confronted and stole a riot shield from a Capitol police officer.
Pezzola and Pepe were arrested earlier this month on minor charges, but Friday’s grand jury indictment contains new allegations that are among the most serious related to the Proud Boys, a group that former President Trump he said “stand back and stand by” during a presidential debate in September. A self-proclaimed organizer of Proud Boys of the facts of the group on January 6 was arrested earlier this month in Florida.
On Saturday, documents accusing the men of conspiracy had not yet appeared in the government’s online court filing database and details of the alleged men’s conspiracy were unclear.
CBS News
In a criminal complaint filed Jan. 13, prosecutors said Pezzola was filmed with that shield to break a window and crawl toward the U.S. Capitol. In photos and videos taken during the incident, Pezzola can be seen wearing a shirt with the “Proud Boys” logo and smoking a cigar inside the Capitol.
“Smoke from victory at the Capitol, guys,” he says in a video. “That’s great. I knew we could end up with this mom [if we] I’ve just worked hard enough. ”
Pezzola is a veteran of the U.S. Marines, according to records obtained by CBS News. He is one of at least 15 military veterans who now face federal charges for alleged crimes during the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin said Tuesday that prosecutors will begin to move away from loading easily identifiable “Internet stars” that appeared in photos of the riot and instead begin building conspiracy cases. more complex against militia groups that may have coordinated their actions while at the U.S. Capitol.
Both Pezzola and Pepe face charges of conspiracy, civil disorder, illegal entry into restricted buildings or land, and disorderly and disruptive conduct in restricted buildings or land, the government said. Pezzola faces additional charges that include obstruction of an official process, additional charges of civil unrest, theft of U.S. personal property and assault, resistance or impediment of certain officers, the government said.
Prosecutors have also charged a man affiliate a the radical militia group the “Three Percentages,” as well as three alleged members of the anti-government militia the “guardians of the oath.” As of Saturday, 175 people had been charged in connection with the Capitol riot and, among them, 13 have also been charged by a grand jury.
Pepe and Pezzola were one of 14 people in New York State that federal prosecutors have charged in connection with the riot. Pepe worked as a worker at the New York Metropolitan Traffic Authority and used the low to travel to DC. He has since been suspended from his job at the MTA.
Clare Hymes and Eleanor Watson contributed to the communication.