Two alleged Oath Keepers from Roger Stone security detail added to conspiracy indictment
Two alleged Oath Keepers that were part of Roger Stone’s security detail have been added to a conspiracy indictment against the paramilitary group for the deadly attacks at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
The Justice Department announced on Thursday that Joshua James of Alabama and Roberto Minuta of Texas were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.
The men each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted.
The conspiracy case against the Oath Keepers was first filed in January and now has 12 defendants.
According to the indictment, James and Minuta drove a golf cart to the Capitol, at times swerving around law enforcement, in response to a call for individuals to head there after the breach.
Once they arrived, Minuta aggressively berated and taunted law enforcement that was guarding the perimeter of the Capitol near the East side of the building. The two men entered the Capitol through the same side at 3:15 p.m., according to the charges.
The men then stormed the building in military gear. Minuta was captured on video yelling “All that’s left is the Second Amendment!” as he left the building at 3:19 p.m. After the breach, the men gathered with many of their co-conspirators near the northeast corner of the building.
Both men had previously been arrested and charged for their roles in the Capitol riot in early March after several news outlets posted photos and videos of alleged Oath Keepers guarding Stone.
The New York Times previously reported that at least six people that guarded Stone when he was in D.C. for the “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the attack were part of the mob that stormed the Capitol.
The DOJ opened a federal probe in February into whether Stone and other right-wing figures like Alex Jones played a role in the Jan. 6 breach. Stone has denied having advanced knowledge of the riots.
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