Image: Lev Radin/Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire via Newscom (ABC News) –Retired military servicemen are turning up in alarming numbers on wanted posters and in charging documents as federal agents continue their sweep of arrests tied to the deadly riot at the Capitol last week, a trend that has experts increasingly concerned about the dangerous allure of extremist and paramilitary.
Nearly a dozen ex-military members among those arrested in connection with Capitol riot
• 10 min read
US Capitol riots: Tracking the insurrection
On Jan. 6, rioters coming from a pro-Trump rally broke into the U.S. Capitol, resulting in deaths, injuries, arrests and vandalism.Win Mcnamee/Getty Images
Retired military servicemen are turning up in alarming numbers on wanted posters and in charging documents as federal agents continue their sweep of arrests tied to the deadly riot at the Capitol last week, a trend that has experts increasingly concerned about the dangerous allure of extremist and paramilitary groups.
So far at least nine of those arrested for participating in the riot have been confirmed to be former members of the U.S. military, ABC News has confirmed through court files, lawyer statements, and military records.
BBC News
16 April 2021 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Jon Schaffer, pictured wearing a blue jacket, was seen in news photos taken during the riot
Exactly 100 days since the 6 January riot that saw a pro-Trump mob storm the US Capitol, prosecutors have their first guilty plea.
Jon Schaffer, 53, a member of the Oath Keepers militia group, pleaded guilty to two charges - obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon.
Schaffer, who is also a heavy metal guitarist in the band Iced Earth, had originally faced six charges including using a chemical irritant designed for grizzly bears on police officers during clashes.
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