Several alleged members of the far-right Proud Boys were arrested Thursday on conspiracy and other charges for their alleged involvement in the Capitol riot, while prosecutors continue to engage with far-right groups and investigate what plans had made the attack possible.
William Chrestman, a Kansas resident, and four others were arrested in Missouri and Arizona, authorities said, who charged in two complaints that the five people coordinated their efforts to enter the Capitol together, dressed in tactical gear with strips of orange tape. .
According to several friends and former classmates of Mr. Chrestman, he grew up in California and developed more radical views in recent years. They said before his Facebook page was taken down, he had posted conspiracy theories there about vaccines and QAnon, and was involved in heated online debates.
Statements for the arrest of the five people said they marched as a group with other well-known members of the Proud Boys, who describe themselves as an organization for “Western chauvinists.” Several of those members have previously been arrested on similar charges and, according to affidavits, have worked to prevent police from securing the area.
Since the riot on Jan. 6, more than 200 participants have been arrested on charges ranging from unlawfully entering a restricted building to assaulting federal officers. Prosecutors have also more specifically targeted alleged members of the Proud Boys and various militia groups, including the Oath Keepers, building cases accusing small subgroups of the larger group of rioters of coordinating their actions and planning the attack ahead of time.