Two additional Trump supporters who participated in the Capitol riot back in January have been arrested and charged for their actions. The newly charged individuals include 25-year-old Marshall Neefe and 25-year-old Charles Bradford Smith, both of whom are from Pennsylvania, and charges against both of them include accusations of felonies. Both are charged with conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, while Neefe’s charges include accusations of physically assaulting law enforcement officers. Obstruction of an official proceeding comes with a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years.
As explained by a press release from the Justice Department, Neefe’s charges include “conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers while using a dangerous weapon; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; and carrying out an act of physical violence on the Capitol grounds.” Similarly, Smith’s charges include “conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds,” according to the same press release. Both Neefe and Smith were arrested on Monday and have already made their initial appearances in court.
Neefe was revealed by the Justice Department to have told Smith the day after last year’s presidential election that he was “getting ready to storm D.C.” In other words, the plotting began well before January 6. According to that same Justice Department press release, once at the Capitol on January 6, Neefe “carried a wooden club and participated in hoisting and pushing a large metal sign frame into a defensive line of” officers from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Neefe also said in a Facebook message sent following the riot that “If i [sic] had it my way every cop who hurled a baton or maced on [sic] of us would be lined up and put down.” Clearly, this comment suggests that he poses a continued, serious danger to the community. Read more at this link.
DOJ announced a new Jan. 6 indictment (docs are not in PACER yet) against two PA men charged with conspiracy, among other things; one is charged with assaulting police.
"If i [sic] had it my way every cop who hurled a baton or maced on [sic] of us would be lined up and put down" pic.twitter.com/z10oYQC4oC
— Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) September 14, 2021
Over 600 individuals have been dealt federal criminal charges for their parts in the Capitol riot. As of this point, most of these individuals haven’t taken plea deals, meaning that jury trials remain on the horizon. Outside of the Justice Department’s work, the House committee investigating the Capitol riot has also recently been continuing its efforts, with members revealing that the panel has received significant troves of documents in response to its recent requests to outside entities for relevant evidentiary materials.
