Several suspected members of the far-right Proud Boys were arrested on Thursday for conspiracy and other charges for their alleged involvement in the US Capitol riot, while prosecutors continue to focus on far-right groups and examine what planning may have contributed for the attack.
Kansas resident William Chrestman and four others were arrested in Missouri and Arizona, officials said, describing in two complaints allegations that the five people coordinated their efforts to advance together to Capitol grounds, dressed in tactical gear. with orange ribbons.
According to several friends and former colleagues of Mr. Chrestman, he grew up in California, developing more radical views in recent years. They said that before his Facebook page was deleted, he posted conspiracy theories about vaccines and QAnon, and got involved with people in heated debates online.
Testimonies for the arrest of the five people say that they marched as a group with other known members of the Proud Boys, which describes itself as an organization of “western chauvinists”. Several of these members have already been arrested on similar charges and, according to the depositions, worked to prevent police authorities from arresting the area.
Since the January 6 rebellion, more than 200 participants have been arrested on charges ranging from illegal entry into a building restricted to assaulting federal officials. Prosecutors also focused more specifically on the alleged members of the Proud Boys and various militia groups, including the Oath Keepers, creating cases that accuse small subsets of the larger group of protesters of coordinating their actions and planning the attack in advance.