Reward for Information About Capitol Hill Pipe Bomber Raised to $500,000 –
Members talk on the House floor on the opening day of the 118th Congress on Tuesday: NAJ screen shot
By Glynn Wilson –
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On the eve of the second anniversary of the violent attack at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a seditious conspiracy and violent insurrection that was clearly an unsuccessful attempt to block the certification of the 2020 presidential election results and overturn American democracy itself, a small group of pro-Trump and pro-insurrection Republican rebels in the House are holding up the government from inside the Capitol.
In the words of Dan Balz, the Washington Post’s chief political correspondent, “the roots run deep that brought House Republicans to this week’s demonstration of chaos and dysfunction. The problems have been building for years. Now they have been exposed for all to see — to see just how broken the GOP has become. The opening two days of the 118th Congress foreshadow turmoil, frustration and a potential breakdown in governing in the coming two years.
“What has been on display is a perfect storm of misjudgment and anti-institutionalism. The failure of House Republicans to properly assess the political climate (and their own vulnerabilities) in the 2022 midterm elections left them with a narrow majority rather than the “red wave” margin they expected. That empowered the band of rebels, whose sole objective, at least for a handful, appears simply to be to blow up both the party and Congress — for their own gain.”
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation is marking the occasion by reminding the American people that no matter what happens in the political realm, it continues to investigate to identify and prosecute those responsible for the attack.
With the assistance of hundreds of thousands of tips from the American people, the FBI has identified and arrested more than 950 individuals who took part in the Capitol riots. Of those, nearly 200 were arrested for assaulting law enforcement officers.
“As we approach two years since the attack on the Capitol, the FBI and our partners’ investigative work continues to unfold across the country, resulting in significant judicial outcomes,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.
“Some of the most egregious offenders, including those who attacked law enforcement officers, have received lengthy sentences, and the FBI continues to receive tips from the public, which help us bring remaining offenders to justice,” he said. “In the months and years to come, the FBI Washington Field Office will continue to partner with U.S. attorney’s offices across the country to bring to justice those who attempted to use violence to substitute their will over the will of the people.”
Among the most significant judicial outcomes to date, Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, and Kelly Meggs, the leader of the Florida chapter of the organization, were found guilty by a jury of seditious conspiracy and other charges for crimes related to the breach of the Capitol.
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Subjects who committed some of the most violent attacks on law enforcement have received significant sentences, according to the FBI, including Thomas Webster, a former police officer, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for assaulting an officer with a flagpole, tackling him, and attempting to remove his helmet and gas mask.
Also, Albuquerque’s Cosper Head and Kyle Young were sentenced to 90 months and 86 months in prison, respectively, for attacking a Metropolitan Police Department officer and dragging him into a mob of rioters.
“Investigating the violent assaults on law enforcement officers, obstruction of justice, seditious conspiracy, and multiple other federal crimes committed during the January 6 attack on the Capitol has been and remains a priority for the FBI,” Sundberg says.
Bringing the perpetrators of these attacks to justice has required “tireless” efforts by FBI agents, analysts, and other professional staff, and the review of almost four million files, including over 30,000 files of video footage consisting of body-worn and hand-held camera footage from five law enforcement agencies, surveillance camera footage from three law enforcement agencies, and search warrant returns for digital devices. For context, these files amount to over nine terabytes of information and would take at least 361 days to view continuously.
Tips from the American people were instrumental in identifying many of the subjects who committed crimes at the Capitol, the FBI says. Among them are Guy Reffitt, Patrick McCaughey (AFO #62), Reed Christensen (AFO #191), Jonathan Munafo (AFO #170), Nicholas Brockhoff (AFO #255), and Geoffrey Sills (AFO #153).
The FBI continues to ask the public for assistance in identifying additional suspects who committed assaults on federal officers (AFO) or other violence at the Capitol on January 6. If you have any information on the individuals depicted in the photos or videos at fbi.gov/capitolviolence, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Please reference the photo number when calling or submitting information online.
Some of the violent offenders about whom the FBI is seeking public tips to identify include AFOs #91, #292, #371, and #383. AFO #91 uses what appears to be a stick to strike multiple officers numerous times while in the doorway of the Lower West Terrace, commonly referred to as the tunnel. AFOs #292, #371, and #383 are all shown on video charging at and assaulting officers, and they appear to grab and attempt to take possession of the officers’ batons.
Reward for Information About Capitol Hill Pipe Bomber Raised to $500,000
More pictures: FBI/NAJ screen shot
The reward has been raised to $500,000 for information leading to the arrest of a suspect who placed pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C., in January 2021, according to another press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Two years into the investigation, identifying the perpetrator of this attempted attack remains a priority for the FBI, ATF, MPD, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
The suspect placed pipe bombs in a Capitol Hill neighborhood near the Republican National Committee Headquarters, located at 310 First St. SE, and the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, located at 430 South Capitol St. SE, #3, on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, between approximately 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.— the night before the riots at the Capitol.
“For two years, a dedicated team of FBI agents, analysts, and law enforcement partners have been tirelessly reviewing evidence and digital media related to this case,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.
To date, the FBI and its partners have conducted approximately 1,000 interviews, visited more than 1,200 residences and businesses, collected more than 39,000 video files, and assessed nearly 500 tips.
“We remain grateful to the American people, who have provided invaluable tips that have helped us advance the investigation,” Sundberg said.
“With the significantly increased reward, we urge those who may have previously hesitated to contact us — or who may not have realized they had important information — to review the information on our website and come forward with anything relevant,” Sundberg added. “Despite the unprecedented volume of data review involved in this case, the FBI and our partners continue to work relentlessly to bring the perpetrator of these dangerous attempted attacks to justice.”
“We are proud to stand alongside our partners as we increase our reward contribution to help identify the person or persons responsible for placing these pipe bombs and threatening our community,” said ATF Washington Field Division acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. “The ATF’s determination and commitment to this investigation will not waver. Public safety is of the utmost priority in this ongoing investigation, and we remain dedicated to making sure those responsible are brought to justice.”
“MPD continues to work alongside our federal partners to locate the individual or individuals behind these heinous attempted acts,” D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said in the announcement. “We know our most powerful tool is information from our community. With your help and our federal partnerships, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department will remain focused on bringing this matter to closure — for the safety of our entire community.”
Although these bombs did not detonate, it is important to remember the suspect walked along residential and commercial areas in Capitol Hill just blocks from the U.S. Capitol with viable pipe bombs that could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders. Moreover, the suspect may still pose a danger to the public or themselves.
In raising the reward for information about the pipe bomb suspect from $100,000 to as much as $500,000, the FBI and our partners are seeking to encourage the American public to take a fresh look at our Seeking Information website, which includes images and video of the suspect, the suspect’s backpack, the suspect’s shoes, the explosive devices, and a map of the route the suspect walked the night the pipe bombs were placed. We note that many of the components used to build the pipe bombs were widely available for purchase in-store and online. Some of the components used to construct these devices include 1×8-inch threaded galvanized pipes, end caps, kitchen timers, wires, metal clips, and homemade black powder.
While additional details cannot be released in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation, the FBI strongly encourages the public to come forward with any relevant information. We ask those providing tips about potentially relevant persons of interest to compile and provide as many details as possible (biographic info, contact info, demographic info, proximity to Washington, D.C., in early January 2021, and access to pipe bomb components) to ensure the FBI can adequately vet the information.
If you have any information, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can remain anonymous.
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