Multiple Colorado residents, including a two-time Olympic champion and a geophysicist, have been arrested and charged with crimes in connection to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
NPR reports that over 575 people have been charged in connection to the attack, which the FBI views as domestic terrorism. The attack occurred during a Joint Session of the U.S. Congress, which was in the process of confirming the results from the 2020 presidential election. It came shortly after a nearby “Stop the Steal” rally held by then-President Donald Trump, and amid a swirl of election misinformation and fiery rhetoric from Trump’s supporters, including Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, who tweeted on the morning of Jan. 6 that “Today is 1776.”
The Department of Justice says that approximately 140 police officers were assaulted on Jan. 6 at the Capitol, including approximately 80 U.S. Capitol police officers and about 60 officers from the Metropolitan Police Department.
The FBI has received over 200,000 digital media tips from citizens around the country regarding the events of Jan. 6, according to the Department of Justice. As of early July, the FBI was still looking for help from the public in identifying over 300 additional suspects.
At least 78 people who have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack have a military or law enforcement history, according to an NPR analysis. Fifty-five individuals who have been charged “invoked Trump to explain their actions.” NPR reports that while there are some exceptions, the people charged so far are predominantly white males.
The following are Coloradans who have been charged so far:
Hunter Palm
Date and location of arrest: May 12, 2021, in Denver
Charges: (1) obstruction of an official proceeding; (2) entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; (3) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; (4) entering and remaining in certain rooms in the Capitol Building; (5) disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building; (6) parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building.
Palm was identified by a family member who wrote a letter to the FBI on Jan. 8, according to an affidavit. The family member, who was identified as Witness 1 in court documents, wrote that Palm called Witness 1 and reported to the family member that Palm had entered the U.S. Capitol. Court documents state that Palm sat down at the head of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s conference table and put his feet on the table. Palm can be heard saying “I think I like my new dining room. I pay for it.”
Timothy Wayne Williams
Date and location of arrest: June 4, 2021, in Denver
Charges: (1) knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; (2) disorderly or disruptive conduct, at any place in the Grounds or in any of the Capitol Buildings; (3) parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building.
Williams is from Trinidad, according to court documents. Williams told FBI agents that he previously worked for GrowGeneration, a hydroponics equipment supplier in Trinidad, but that he lost his job because he would not take a COVID-19 test. Williams claimed he was not involved in any acts of property damage or violence, and that he did not take “any souvenirs or anything from the Capitol,” according to court documents.
Patrick Montgomery
Date and location of arrest: Jan. 17, 2021, in Littleton
Charges: (1) entering and remaining in a restricted building; (2) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; (3) entering and remaining in the gallery of either House of Congress; (4) violent entry and disorderly conduct at the grounds and in a Capitol Building; (5) parading, demonstrating, and picketing in a Capitol Building
Several people submitted tips to the FBI regarding posts and photos on Facebook that appeared to be Montgomery, according to an affidavit.
Montgomery has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. According to the Justice Department, Montgomery has been released on a personal recognizance bond, which does not require the defendant to pay money in exchange for being released prior to trial.
Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr.
Date and location of arrest: Jan. 8, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
Charges: (1) interstate communication of threats; (2) possession of unregistered firearms; (3) possession of unregistered ammunition; (4) possession of large capacity ammunition.
According to an affidavit, the FBI received tips on Jan. 7 that Meredith had sent the following text: “Thinking about heading over to Pelosi C***’s speech and putting a bullet in her noggin on Live TV (purple devil emoji).” FBI agents searched Meredith’s trailer, where Meredith stated he had put two firearms, and found a “Glock 19, nine millimeter pistol, a Tavor X95 assault rifle and approximately hundreds of rounds of ammunition,” according to court documents. Meredith told FBI agents that he was originally planning to arrive in Washington, D.C. on Jan 5, but did not arrive until Jan 6., and it was too late to attend the rally, according to the affidavit.
In court documents, federal prosecutors described Meredith as a “clearly disturbed, deranged, and dangerous individual that fantasizes about committing horrific acts of violence and takes countless steps to carry them out by driving across several states with a trailer stocked with thousands of rounds of ammunition and multiple firearms — including an assault style rifle — should not remain in the community.” He concluded the memorandum with a request that the court order Meredith to be detained without bond pending the resolution of the case.
Meredith is a Colorado resident, according to court documents. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Meredith lived in Hiawassee, Georgia, and was involved in funding a controversial billboard that supported QAnon in 2018. QAnon is a term for internet conspiracy theories that falsely allege that the world is run by “a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles,” according to The New York Times.
Meredith is detained until his trial.
Klete Keller
Date and location of arrest: Jan. 14, 2021, in Denver
Charges: (1) civil disorder; (2) obstruction of an official proceeding; (3) entering and remaining in a restricted building or groups; (4) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; (5) disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; (6) impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or building; (7) parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Keller is a two-time Olympic champion in swimming, and a member of the 2000, 2004, and 2008 U.S. Olympic teams, according to the Team USA website. Keller is believed to have been wearing a Team USA Nike jacket with an Olympic patch on it, according to an affidavit.
ABC News reported that Keller’s former swim coach, Mark Schubert, “said he wishes he had been ‘more proactive’ in talking to Keller ‘about his life after swimming.’” Schubert said he was shocked when he learned that Keller was at the Capitol on Jan. 6. “My first thought was knowing that he has struggled trying to get a profession, trying to be a successful family man. All of those things came to mind and just made me feel very sad,” Schubert told ABC News.
The New York Times reported that Keller worked as a broker associate for Hoff & Leigh, a Colorado real estate firm. In January, the firm announced that Keller had resigned.
Keller has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is currently on personal recognizance.
Logan Grover
Date and location of arrest: April 28, 2021, in Erie
Charges: (1) entering and remaining in a restricted building; (2) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; (3) violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; (4) parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Grover pleaded not guilty to the charges and remains on personal recognizance, according to the Capitol breach investigation resource page.
Grover was identified when the FBI received a tip that Grover posted on Facebook that he flew to Washington, D.C., and planned to participate in the protest at the Capitol, according to an affidavit.
The affidavit states that Grover is a resident of Erie.
Robert Gieswein
Date and location of arrest: Jan. 18, 2021, in Divide
Charges: (1) obstruction of an official proceeding; (2–4) three counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon; (5) destruction of government property; (6) entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon
Gieswein is a resident of Woodland Park and appears to be affiliated with the Three Percenters, a radical militia group, according to an affidavit. At least 11 people charged in connection to the Jan. 6 attack have alleged associations to the Three Percenters, according to NPR. The affidavit also alleges that Gieswein is the leader of the Woodland Wild Dogs, a private paramilitary organization training group.
Gieswein had an aerosol irritant spray and a baseball bat on his person, according to his indictment.
Glenn Wes Lee Croy
Date and location of arrest: Feb. 17, 2021, in Colorado Springs
Charges: (1) entering and remaining in a restricted building; (2) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; (3) violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; (4) parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building
Croy was identified when an individual submitted a tip to the FBI, stating that Croy told the individual that he was at the Capitol riot and sent a picture of himself and another person, who was later identified as Terry Lynn Lindsey, inside the U.S. Capitol Building, according to an affidavit. The affidavit also states that Croy and Lindsey, who appears to be from Ohio, were friends on Facebook prior to the apparent deletion of Croy’s Facebook profile.
Terry Lynn Lindsey was arrested on Feb. 17, 2021 in Ohio.
Croy has pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to the Capitol breach investigation resource page. A status conference and potential plea hearing is scheduled for Aug. 19, 2021. Croy has been released on personal recognizance.
Jacob Travis Clark
Date and location of arrest: April 21, 2021, in Colorado Springs
Charges: (1) knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; (2) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; (3) engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; (4) violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; (5) obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; (6) obstruction of justice/congress
When Capitol police officers told Clark, of Trinidad, and other people inside the Capitol building that they were just doing their jobs, Clark allegedly responded “So were the Nazis!” according to an affidavit.
A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 7.
Jeffrey Sabol
Date and location of arrest: Jan. 27, 2021, in New York
Charges: (1) assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon; (2) assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; (3) civil disorder; (4) entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; (5) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; (6) engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; (7) act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
Sabol was taken into custody on Jan. 27 by officers from the Clarkstown Police Department in Rockland County, New York, who responded to a vehicle that was driving erratically and encountered Sabol, who was covered in blood and had apparently attempted suicide, according to an affidavit. Sabol allegedly told the officers, “I was fighting tyranny in the DC Capitol,” and “I am wanted by the FBI.” The officers who searched the vehicle found an airline ticket, Sabol’s passport, and his social security card, among other items, according to court documents.
When FBI agents spoke to Sabol and showed him a photo of an officer lying face down on the ground with Sabol over him, Sabol “acknowledged that he is the individual in the picture. Sabol acknowledged that this picture looked bad and he could not recall if he hit the police officer with the baton because he was in a fit of rage and the details are cloudy,” according to an affidavit.
The Denver Post reported that Sabol is a 51-year-old Colorado geophysicist. Voter records indicate that Sabol is registered to vote in Jefferson County.
This story was originally published on Colorado Newsline.
