Dozens of insurrectionists have been arrested in North Texas
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A year after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, dozens of North Texans have been arrested and charged with crimes related to the events that unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021.
Why it matters: North Texas had an outsize presence at the Capitol insurrection, a fact noted by several national media outlets.
What’s happening: Most have pleaded not guilty and have cases pending.
- Several have already been sentenced to prison.
- Many rioters were identified by amateur online sleuths. Some were turned in by their own neighbors and families.
Details: The DOJ lists more than 60 people from Texas on its “Capitol Breach cases” page.
- The FBI Dallas Field Office had made more insurrection-related arrests than any other field office in the country.
Here a few of the more prominent people charged:
Larry Brock, a former Air Force officer from Grapevine, was one of the first locals arrested. Prosecutors allege he aimed to take hostages at the Capitol, according to the Air Force Times.
Luke Coffee, an actor who once appeared in “Friday Night Lights,” was seen wielding a crutch during the riot. Before his arrest, he hid out in a luxury resort and gave an interview to Texas Monthly.
Jenna Ryan, a realtor from Frisco, boasted on Twitter that she wouldn’t go to jail. Then she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. This week she compared the treatment she’s received online to “Jews in Germany.”
Guy Reffitt, a former oil worker living in Wylie, was turned in to the FBI by his son, Jackson, who later appeared on CNN to talk about it.
- A GoFundMe for Jackson’s college fund has raised more than $150,000.
Mark Middleton, who is charged with assaulting an officer and multiple counts of obstruction, is running for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives.
What they’re saying: These people were driven by a "salad bowl of grievances," according to the FBI, including anger over the presidential election, white-supremacist ideology and the discredited extremist ideology QAnon.