FBI officials on investigations into Capitol riots: 'We've already charged over 70 cases'
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Rioters who stormed the United States Capitol during the count of the state-certified Electoral College vote intended to "capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States Government," federal prosecutors said in court documents filed late Thursday.
© SAUL LOEB, AFP via Getty Images(FILES) In this file photo taken on January 06, 2021, supporters of US President Donald Trump, including Jake Angeli (C), a QAnon supporter, enter the Capitol in Washington, DC. - Authorities announced new arrests and charges on January 9, 2021, over the violent incursion into the US Capitol, including Jacob Anthony Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, and two others -- one of them a newly elected state official -- were charged in federal court in connection with the violence, according to the US attorney's office for the District of Columbia. (Photo by Saul LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 0 ORIG FILE ID: AFP_8YG3BE.jpg
The contention is the latest and most alarming claim from law enforcement addressing the threat posed by the mob.
The recent court filing centers on Jacob Anthony Chansley, who goes by "Jake Angeli" and is known as the "QAnon Shaman."
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"Strong evidence, including Chansley's own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States Government," the filing stated.
Chansley, who used a spear to fight Capitol Police during the attack, is expected in Phoenix federal court Friday for a detention hearing.
"Chansley is an active participant in - and has made himself the most prominent symbol of - a violent insurrection that attempted to overthrow the United States Government on January 6, 2021," the document reads.
Chansley also left a note on the Senate Chamber dais, where Vice President Mike Pence had been presiding, that warned: "It's only a matter of time, justice is coming."
"When questioned as to the meaning of that statement, Chansley went on a lengthy diatribe describing current and past United States political leaders as infiltrators, specifically naming Vice President Mike Pence, former President Barack Obama, former Senator Hillary Clinton and U.S. President-elect Joe Biden as infiltrators involved in various types of wrongdoing. Although he stated his note was not a threat, the Government strongly disagrees," the filing reads.
Prosecutors argue that Chansley must be detained due to his past criminal record and belief in harmful conspiracies like QAnon, as well as his belief that he is an alien, which may indicate "serious risks that he will flee and obstruct or attempt to obstruct justice."
© uSA TodayQAnon follower Jake Angeli in U.S. senate at U.S. Capitol
Jake Angeli's mother speaks at initial federal court appearance
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Capitol rioters meant to 'capture and assassinate' elected officials, federal prosecutors say