Thomas Caldwell, leader of an anti-government extremist militia, is facing a conspiracy charge for his alleged role in the attack on the United States Capitol.
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Protesters invade the United States Capitol on January 6.
Federal prosecutors filed a conspiracy charge in an attempted coup on the US Capitol against the leader of a far-right militia group that allegedly planned and coordinated the January 6 deadly attack.
Thomas Caldwell, 65, was arrested in Virginia on Tuesday and charged with conspiracy to commit a crime against the United States, obstruction of official prosecution, violent entry or disorderly conduct and illegal entry into a restricted building.
The conspiracy charge alone carries a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison.
The complaint against Caldwell illustrates that among the hundreds of disorganized and frantic pro-Trump protesters, there were members of extremist groups who moved “in an organized and practiced way” to invade the Capitol during the coup attempt that left five people dead.
Caldwell’s Facebook messages show that he was involved in leading an “organized group” of eight to ten Oath Keepers members to forcibly enter the Capitol and prevent the counting of electoral votes that would confirm Joe Biden’s victory, according to with the criminal complaint.
Prosecutors described the Oath Keepers as “a large, but vaguely organized collection of militias who believe the federal government was co-opted by an obscure conspiracy that is trying to deprive American citizens of their rights.”
The extremist group focuses on recruiting current and former military, police and first responders, and the name is a reference to the oath taken by the military and the police to defend the constitution “of all enemies, foreign and domestic”.
Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images
Men belonging to the Oath Keepers participate in the “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6 in Washington, DC.
Caldwell was referred to as “Commander” or “Commander Tom” by other militia members, the complaint said.
On January 1, Caldwell sent a Facebook message about hotel arrangements at the Comfort Inn in Arlington, Virginia, to Oath Keepers members from January 5 to 7.
“This is a good spot and would allow us to hunt at night if we wanted to,” said Caldwell in the message.
Records showed that a room at the Comfort Inn was rented from January 5 to 7 under the name “Jessica Wagkins”, referring to Jessica Watkins – another Oath Keepers and Ohio militia member who was arrested and charged. Donovan Crowl, a former Marine and member of an Ohio militia affiliated with the Oath Keepers, was also charged with his alleged role in the coup attempt.
On January 6, Caldwell sent a video message on Facebook that appears to have been taken from inside the Capitol. In a message to follow, he wrote: “We attacking the castle. Please share. Sharon was right with me! I’m an instigator! She was ready for this, man. She didn’t even care about the tear gas.” (It is not clear who Sharon is.)
Two minutes later, he sent a message saying, “Proud boys fought with the police and took them inside to hide. He broke down the doors. One guy made it all the way to the floor of the house, another to Pelosi’s office. . “
He then sent another message that said, “We need to do this at the local level. We are going to invade the capital in Ohio. Tell me when!”
The complaint cited videos showing the group of Oath Keepers members wearing helmets, reinforced vests and clothing with their group’s paraphernalia, “aggressively approaching” the entrance to the Capitol.
They “move in an organized and practical way and make their way to the front of the crowd gathered around a US Capitol door,” the complaint said.
Prosecutors said last week that they hoped to accuse some individuals of conspiracy or sedition.
A lawyer for Caldwell could not be immediately identified.