(UnitedVoice.com) – Two years ago, thousands of supporters of then-President Donald Trump descended on Washington, DC, to protest the election of Joe Biden. On January 6, 2021, the 45th president spoke at a “Stop the Steal” rally and expressed his anger as well. While he was giving his speech, throngs of protesters made their way to the Capitol Building, where Congress was certifying the 2020 election.
In the heat of the moment, the crowd breached security at the Capitol and entered the building. In the wake of the attack, federal authorities arrested more than one thousand defendants and charged them with crimes related to the incident that happened that day. The Department of Justice isn’t through with the arrests yet.
More Arrests Coming
Bloomberg News reportedly reviewed a one-page letter from US Attorney Matthew Graves to District Court for DC Chief Justice Beryl Howell dated October 28. The letter was written when the Department of Justice was approaching its 900th arrest. The prosecutor estimated there could be up to 1,200 more arrests related to the events on January 6.
Graves told the judge he wasn’t sure how many future cases would be felonies or misdemeanors, but he expected more of the former. He also told Howell the cases would be filed in the months following October. A federal database that keeps track of the charges files, arrests, indictments, and sentences of the January 6 defendants shows nearly three dozen new prosecutions began in 2023.
January 6 Investigation Update
On March 6, the US Attorney’s Office for DC released an update on the investigation into the January 6 attack. According to the press release, 326 of the defendants have been charged with resisting, assaulting, or impeding police officers or employees. Of those, 106 have been charged with using a dangerous or deadly weapon against law enforcement or causing serious bodily injury to a cop.
Prosecutors have also charged more than 900 defendants with entering a restricted federal building or its grounds. Over 300 of the people who were allegedly there that day were charged with impeding, corruptly obstructing, or influencing an official proceeding, referring to the certification of the votes. Additionally, prosecutors have charged about 46 defendants with theft of government property and 61 with destruction of government property.
Of the people who were charged thus far, more than 500 people have pleaded guilty to federal charges, and at least 133 have pleaded guilty to felonies. It’s not yet clear exactly what charges the defendants in the new cases will face.
Copyright 2023, UnitedVoice.com
