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Three men serving in the U.S. Marines have been arrested because they allegedly took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Joshua Abate, Micah Coomer, and Dodge Dale Hellonen were arrested this week on charges of knowingly entering and remaining in the Capitol without lawful authority, disorderly conduct in the building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing while inside, according to court documents and docket entries.
FBI agents gathered evidence from social media accounts, telephones, military photographs, driver’s licenses, surveillance footage, and public images before the arrests were made on Jan. 18, according to an affidavit supporting the charges.
The footage and open-source materials showed the trio entering the Capitol at approximately 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, utilizing the open Senate Wing Door. U.S. Capitol Police tried but failed to prevent people from entering the door, after which a number of people streamed into the building. No officers were visible when the Marines entered.
The Marines went into the Rotunda and eventually left the Capitol after about 52 minutes.
Another member of the Marine Corps helped identify Coomer, who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat, Hellonen, who carried a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, and Abate, wearing a gray gap, from footage captured inside the Capitol.
