Four members of the 'Three Percenter' militia group were given prison sentences on Friday for their roles in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. according This information was released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in a press statement.
According to the statement, Erik Scott Warner, 48; Felipe Antonio Martinez, 50; Derek Kinnison, 42; and Ronald Mele, 54, all from California, have been sentenced to prison for a period ranging from 21 to 33 months.
The press release stated that all defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and obstruction of an official proceeding, both of which are felony offenses, after a 17-day jury trial.
Warner and Kinnison were also found guilty of felony charges of tampering with documents or records, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The press release also mentioned that all four men were convicted of misdemeanor offenses related to entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, as well as disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth also ordered each defendant to pay $2,000 in restitution and serve 36 months of supervised release in addition to their prison sentences, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
According to trial evidence, the men worked together to plan travel from California to Washington, D.C., to gather weapons and obstruct Congress’ certification of the Electoral College prior to January 6.
Following the “Stop The Steal” rally by former President Trump at the Ellipse in D.C., the men went to the Capitol on the day of the attacks, as per the release.
At around 2:00 p.m., as the four men approached the Capitol, Kinnison announced, ‘This is the storm of the Capitol,' and Warner joined rioters as they ascended the stairs, calling for them to ‘hold the line,’ while carrying bear spray and a thick wooden flag pole.
Martinez, Kinnison, and Mele encountered a police line on the northwest lawn, and “Mele called out for the crowd to ‘Push! Push! Push!’ as the officers on the lawn were surrounded, assaulted, and forced to retreat.
Warner entered the Capitol through a broken window, while Martinez, Kinnison, and Mele decided to join him after learning about his entry via phone.
The release stated that all three men then went together to the Upper West Terrace, wearing plate carriers and other tactical gear, and carrying knives and cans of bear spray, while Mele shot a video chanting 'Storm the Capitol!' as they stormed the building.
The FBI captured the men in June 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
“Three Percenters belong to the militia movement, which backs the idea of a small group of committed ‘patriots’ protecting Americans from government tyranny,” according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
“The Three Percenter concept, founded in 2008, is based on a false historical assertion that only three percent of Americans fought in the Revolutionary War against the British,” the ADL stated.
Many Three Percenters are not affiliated with any specific groups, but they may join or create traditional militia groups. They also frequently create non-paramilitary groups or online networks, as per the ADL.
Over 1,300 individuals have been charged in almost every state in connection with the “breach” of the Capitol, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
