News

DOJ charges 2 accused of marching with Proud Boys and leader in charge at US Capitol



James Haffner, 53, South Dakota, and Ronald Loehrke, 30, Georgia were arrested and This week was charged with a felony for obstructing the police while disrupting civil order. Haffner is also charged with assaulting federal officers for allegedly spraying police with an unidentified spray while they were guarding the doors of the Capitol. They have yet to enter a plea.
Prosecutors say that Loehrke texted with far-right Proud Boys leader Ethan Nordean before January 6. According to court records, Nordean told Loehrke he wanted him “on the front lines” of the protest. in Washington. Loehrke said he would be there and that he would bring three “bad moms”. (Nordean pleads not separately but in connection with the Proud Boys conspiracy case.)

The complaint against Loehrke and Haffner says they marched with the Proud Boys to the Capitol and were among the first to defeat police on the west side of the building. It alleges that they then moved east and removed barricades there, helping crowds flood the area. When Haffner caught the police guarding the Capitol doors, he allegedly sprayed them with spray can.

Attorneys for the two men did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on Saturday.

Investigators said they were able to identify Haffner in part because of a photo his wife posted on social media with Sidney Powell, a controversial right-wing attorney who worked with former President Donald Trump to debate the 2020 election results and is known for spreading Weird conspiracy theories. Haffner’s wife said in a Facebook post, cited in DOJ court filings, that he met Powell at a rally in South Dakota.

Both men were released pending trial. Several dozen people with ties to the Proud Boys have been charged in connection with January 6, and several of the group’s leaders are currently in prison.

Loehrke is the first person from South Dakota to be charged federally in connection with the riot. The Justice Department prosecuted rioters from 46 states and Washington, DC.

.



Source link

news7h

News7h: Update the world's latest breaking news online of the day, breaking news, politics, society today, international mainstream news .Updated news 24/7: Entertainment, Sports...at the World everyday world. Hot news, images, video clips that are updated quickly and reliably

Related Articles

Back to top button
Immediate Peak