Alabama’s Joshua James is accused of illegally entering the Capitol on January 6.
The Justice Department released Tuesday the charges against Joshua James of Alabama, accused in an FBI testimony of being a member of the Oath Keepers militia group that illegally entered the Capitol on January 6 to obstruct Congress’ certification of electoral victory. President Joe Biden.
According to the FBI testimony for James’ arrest, he was identified in photos taken inside the United States Capitol, wearing a black hat with the words “Oath Keepers”, as well as a distinctive badge and orange paracord.
Photos from the previous day appear to show a man in similar clothes accompanying Donald Trump’s longtime adviser, Roger Stone, at Freedom Plaza and at an event near the United States Supreme Court.
According to court records, James was arrested Tuesday in Alabama, where prosecutors at a U.S. law firm requested that he be detained pending further legal proceedings in his case.
James is facing charges of obstruction of Congress and illegal entry. He didn’t have a lawyer listed for him on Tuesday night.
The FBI statement describes James joining other Oath Keepers who “served as security for a speaker at the ‘Stop the Steal’ rallies and events” on January 5 and 6, without specifically identifying the announcer’s name.
On Monday, Robert Minuta of New York was arrested on charges of connection to the Capitol rebellion, after a video first revealed by ABC News showed him and other Oath Keepers flanking Stone on the morning of January 6. outside a hotel in Washington.
Minuta, who also faces charges of obstruction of Congress and illegal entry, has not yet filed an appeal in his case and has been released on bail by a New York magistrate judge.
In a statement to ABC News on Monday, Stone denied knowing Minuta and said he was “not familiar with his name before being identified in previous media stories, where he was alleged to be involved in illegal events on Capitol Hill”.
“If he was really among those who offered to provide security while I was visiting Washington, DC, I didn’t know that,” said Stone.