Police in Washington, D.C., on Friday arrested a Virginia man who allegedly tried to pass through a security checkpoint with an "unauthorized" inauguration credential, unregistered handguns and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, according to officials.
Wesley Allen Beeler, 31, of Front Royal, Virginia, was arrested shortly after 6:30 p.m. Friday after police found two unregistered Glock 9mm handguns, 509 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 21 12-gauge shotgun shells, and one 17-round Glock 17 magazine, all in his truck, according to a police report.
According to the Washington Post, Beeler was released on personal recognizance after a hearing Saturday afternoon.
The Associated Press, citing a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity, reported that Beeler had a valid credential for inaugural events, though it was not issued by the government and was not recognized by the officers.
Beeler told the Post in an interview that, “It was an honest mistake,” and that he has spent the past week working as hired security in downtown Washington ahead of the inauguration. He said he forgot that his firearm was in his truck when he left his home in Virginia, where he said he has a license to carry.
“I pulled up to a checkpoint after getting lost in D.C. because I’m a country boy,” he said. “I showed them the inauguration badge that was given to me.”
At the time of arrest 1 mile northeast of the Capitol building, Beeler was accused of illegally carrying a concealed weapon outside of a home or business, possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of unregistered ammunition, unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.
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Beeler drove up to a security checkpoint and had window decals on his truck reading "Assault Life" and "If they come for your guns, give 'em your bullets first," according to an affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court. He handed officers an "unauthorized" inauguration credential for the upcoming swearing-in of President-elect Joe Biden.
Officers asked him to pull over for further security, according to the affidavit.
Officers asked if there was anything in the vehicle that would harm them, and Beeler said he had a handgun in the center console, according to the affidavit. They removed him from the truck and saw the "butt-end" of a gun in plain sight. Officers searched the truck and found the additional guns and ammunition.
The court documents only mention the gun Beeler admitted to having. The police report provided to USA TODAY lists two handguns as evidence.
The local Metropolitan Police Department referred all inquiries on the matter to the U.S. Capitol Police. The USCP confirmed Beeler's arrest and that he "presented a non-government issued credential" at a security checkpoint for Biden's inauguration.
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"Officers observed a handgun in plain sight in the Suspect’s vehicle," a USCP spokesperson said in an email to USA TODAY. "A search of the vehicle also found numerous rounds of ammunition."
Capitol police and other authorities are on high alert after the Jan. 6 riot that left five people dead, including a police officer, as a mob stormed the grounds of the Capitol hoping to halt the election certification process.
In preparation for Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, more than 20,000 National Guard troops are on the ground in D.C., and much of the area has been fenced off.
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