A Kentucky man who participated in last year’s Trump-incited Capitol attack, where he was among those first inside the building, was arrested in recent days on a series of felony charges.
His charges include three that have appeared in numerous other cases connected to the Capitol riot, including obstruction of an official proceeding, interference with law enforcement during a civil disorder, and assault on police. The newly arrested rioter is Joseph Howe, who was identified by the Justice Department as 40 years old and was apparently wearing a protective vest — described by the department as body armor-style — while participating in the rampage. He also eventually used other gear, like a stolen police baton, goggles, and a gas mask. Like other rioters, Howe started his afternoon elsewhere in D.C. — attending the outdoor rally where Trump spoke, encouraging his supporters to action, after which the then-president reportedly wanted to get to the Capitol even as the security situation deteriorated.
“We’re getting into that building,” Howe said on camera as he made his way to the Capitol. The comments could eventually prove the kind of intent necessary for a conviction of obstruction of an official proceeding under relevant legal standards. Information about Howe was provided to federal authorities by a tipster who identified themselves as an acquaintance of the defendant and indicated Howe and Michael Sparks, another one of the very first rioters inside the Capitol building, were co-workers. In the footage cited by the department, Howe — who initially lied about his involvement in the Capitol riot to investigators, saying he didn’t even enter the building — is seen with Sparks, the latter of whom says, discussing voting fraud allegations: “Yeah, they’ve got the proof. They got proof that Obama… with the Italian people, it’s going down.” Obviously, former President Barack Obama wasn’t actually involved in any imaginary election fraud.
Howe was kicking a door in the Capitol’s Senate wing around the same time Sparks climbed through a nearby broken window, initiating the building breach. Notably, Howe is repeatedly seen seemingly taking photos or video inside the Capitol, which is inconsistent with his claim in an early interview with investigators that he didn’t remember taking any pictures around the building. Investigators showed back up this month, just days ago — and Howe, cognizant of the situation, eventually stopped answering their questions. “HOWE terminated the interview after noting, in essence, I know I’m in trouble here and I know where this is going,” per a court filing. Howe’s charges also include destruction of government property — which, because the charge ties him to damage costing over $1,000, seemingly carries a max of 10 years in prison. The obstruction charge carries up to 20 years, the assault offense could lead to eight, and the civil disorder charge comes with five — so Howe could end up jailed for a long time, if guilty.
Image: Brett Davis/ Creative Commons
