Donald Trump loaded his weapon of choice with angry white nationalists, lit their fuses with his big mouth, and aimed them directly at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6. Some of these people were extremely well-prepared and had been training, as any terrorist group does. Others were along for the catapult and fizzled out along the way. Conspiracy charges have begun to turn into conspiracy indictments.
Six men, members of a White Nationalist group, California’s Three Percenters, were allegedly charged by prosecutors for their actions at the nation’s Capitol. Each was hit with a conspiracy indictment for their part in the plot to obstruct the Senate and House’s vote count on that fateful day and hand the election over to Donald Trump.
A grand jury in Washington returned the indictments on Wednesday and released the results to the public on Thursday. The grand jury indicated that six members of the American Phoenix Project came together to protest COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, according to The POLITICO.
They described themselves as the “modern-day equivalent” of American colonists who fought Britain in the Revolutionary War period. That did not help them as their cases moved forward.
Instead, they were allegedly charged:
‘[T]o obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding and unauthorized entry to a Secret Service-restricted area — in some cases, with weapons.’
This was the third big conspiracy case brought by the prosecutors regarding the January 6 insurrection.
The two previous conspiracy cases dealt with the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers who were accused of storming the Capitol Building. At this point, only one of those charged was accused of breaking into the Capitol. There the prosecutors claimed that the rest of the individuals crossed police lines and forced themselves to “the Capitol’s upper west terrace.”
In the most recent indictment, organizers of a Virginia Women for Trump rally on January 5 stood outside of the Supreme Court Building. Alan Hostetter and Russell Taylor showed up. They endorsed Donald Trump’s lie about widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
The indictment said Hostetter wanted an “execution” of the legislators, staff, and family during the “coup.” At a December rally in Huntington Beach, California he did the same. He further explained the coup as those who were “driving Trump from office:”
‘The indictment accuses Warner of climbing through a broken window at the Capitol shortly after 2 p.m. that afternoon.’
CNN was able to link both men to search warrants at properties in Orange County, CA, and the FBI confirmed it.
In the newest indictment, prosecutors indicted four more men: Derek Kinnison, Felipe Martinez, Ronald Mele, and Erik Warner. The men rented a SUV and entered a Telegram chat called the California Patriots-DC Brigade. Prior to heading out for Washington, the group flashed hand signs affiliated with a Three Percent group as the camera flashed on them.
Kinnison said the group decided to drive instead of flying due to the “extensive gear they were bringing.” He wrote commanding his associates on January 5th to erase all chats “for opsec purposes.” In other words, erase all DNA evidence:
‘We will have lots of gear from medical kits, radios, multiple cans of bear spray, knives, flags, plates[,] goggles, helmets.’
Later, Taylor posted online that he was one of those who “stormed the Capitol” on that fateful day. He texted others saying he never went inside, because he “had weapons.” That day, after all the sturm and drang was over, someone asked him what was next, he responded:
‘Insurrection!’
Hostetter’s wife also traveled with the group to D.C. and at least one other individual, but “they were not charged.”
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