Two Champaign County residents were arrested Monday on federal charges related to the breach of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C.
Donovan Crowl, 50, and Jessica Watkins, 38, each face three federal charges: obstructing an official proceeding, entering a restricted building and "violent entry or disorderly conduct."
According to court documents, Watkins and Crowl are members of the Ohio State Regular Militia a "dues-paying subset of the Oath Keepers."
The FBI agent responsible for the charges wrote that the Oath Keepers are a "loosely organized collection of militia who believe that the federal government has been co-opted by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights."
The agent said that Oath Keepers differs from other militias by focusing their recruitment on current and former military, law enforcement and first responder personnel.
"Members of the Oath Keepers have been arrested in connection with a wide range of criminal activities, including various firearms violations, conspiracy to impede federal workers, possession of explosives, and threatening public officials," court documents state.
'Un-American.' 'Embarrassment.' 'Criminal.': Ohio leaders react to violence at U.S. Capitol
The FBI agent said Crowl admitted to the incursion of the U.S. Capitol in an interview with the New Yorker magazine.
According to the affidavit, Crowl said in the interview his militia protected Capitol police and expounded on other violence that occurred.
Watkins posted about the incident on the social media platform Parler, according to court documents.
"Me before forcing entry into the Capitol Building. #stopthesteal," she allegedly wrote along with a photo. “Yeah. We stormed the Capitol today. Teargassed, the whole, 9. Pushed our way into the Rotunda. Made it into the Senate even. The news is lying (even Fox) about the Historical Events we created today.”
The FBI included several images in its affidavit allegedly showing Watkins and Crowl in videos of the Capitol breach.
'This is not protest, but lawlessness': Local politicians respond to Capitol breach
The charges were filed in the District of Columbia. As of Monday, charges had been filed against 75 people from all over the country in Washington D.C. including at least one other person from Ohio, three from Kentucky and one from southern Indiana.
This is just one way charges are being brought against suspects related to the incident.
Justin Stoll of Clinton County was charged federally last week in Ohio after authorities said he threatened someone he suspected might report him to the FBI.
Source link
