ATLANTA — More than a month after insurrectionists invaded the U.S. Capitol building, federal authorities said they have arrested at least eight people with ties to Georgia.
And as of Wednesday afternoon, most of them remain in jail.
Cleveland Meredith, Jr.
Cleveland Meredith, Jr., is facing weapons charges. He has also been accused of threatening to shoot House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
According to court documents, Meredith, a Georgia native, had made his way to the Capitol riots with weapons and nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
Meredith was driving from Colorado to D.C., where he lives, as the chaos in Washington began, according to the documents.
Texts were recovered from his cell phone and were exchanged with several individuals, threatening to commit violence, according to court records.
Documents show that he was in possession of two firearms, including one equipped with a telescopic sight, several high capacity magazines, and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition of various caliber, including "armor piercing" rounds.
Also, on Jan. 7, according to an affidavit submitted to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Meredith assaulted a person on the street. It states that he exited his vehicle, head-butted the complainant, knocked him to the ground, and assaulted him on the ground before driving off.
Meredith was arrested in Washington and was denied bond. He remains in custody.
William Calhoun
William McCall Calhoun has been charged with entering a restricted building, violent entry, and tampering with a witness, victim, or informant.
Calhoun, an attorney from Americus, Ga., about an hour and a half southwest of Macon, was arrested on Jan. 15.
Investigators said that Calhoun documented himself during the riot on social media.
When US Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle denied Calhoun's release last month, he also delivered a scathing admonishment of Calhoun.
"What we have, first of all, is the defendant's own statements, made publicly on social media, stupidly, which revealed that he has been ... seduced by a dangerous and violent ideology that considers the United States to be in a state of civil war - anyone that voted for a Democrat to be worthy of execution, there's government officials and agents that are part of a 'deep state' and need to be opposed by so-called patriots - the language used in those posts is extremely violent," Weigle said.
Calhoun is also still detained.
Eric Munchel, aka 'Zip Tie Guy'
Eric Munchel has become known as "Zip Tie Guy," after a photo of him surfaced carrying zip-ties in the Capitol building. Munchel has been charged with entering a restricted building and violent entry.
Munchel was pictured climbing over a railing in the Senate chamber carrying law enforcement-style flex cuffs during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.
On Jan. 22, a federal magistrate judge had ruled that Munchel was not a flight risk or danger to the public and was going to allow him to be freed from federal custody.
Justice Department attorneys had submitted video evidence from Munchel's cell phone that showed that he and his mother, Lisa Eisenhardt, had stashed weapons outside the Capitol building before they entered.
The magistrate judge, Jeffrey Frensley, had not found the evidence persuasive, saying at the time, "It's not clear what his intent was."
On Jan. 24, before Munchel could be freed, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia filed an emergency appeal of Judge Frensley's order in the U.S. District Court.
The appeal included a new allegation not presented in the earlier hearing that Munchel had been part of a group that had assaulted and threatened a Bloomberg reporter who they mistakenly identified as being "antifa."
The Justice Department's emergency motion was granted, and a stay was ordered on Munchel's release. He was also ordered transported from the Middle District of Tennessee, where he had been initially taken into custody, to the District of Columbia, for further proceedings.
Justice Department lawyers returned to Judge Frensley's court in Tennessee saying that Munchel's mother, Lisa Eisenhardt, had come to the Capitol building ready for combat, and that she knew she could face prison time for what she was doing.
In addition, they said, comments she has made since about preferring to "fight and die" rather than live under "oppression" show that she poses a continuing danger to the community.
Frensley repeatedly pressed back against that assertion, pointing out that the Justice Department had presented no evidence that Eisenhart had participated in any assaults on officers and also that she had turned herself in to authorities when she learned there was a warrant for her arrest.
Before delivering his ruling, Frensley noted that he was aware people are “scared and they are angry” about what happened on Jan. 6.
“The events of that day were shocking and disconcerting,” he said. “People feel like the rioters attacked our democracy and our constitution.”
However, he said, the law requires him to impose the least-severe restrictions possible. As a result, Frensley ordered Eisenhart to home detention in the Northern District of Georgia, but stayed his order long enough for the Justice Department to file an appeal.
Following an appeal to the U.S. District Court in D.C., Eisenhart's release was halted and she was also ordered transported to D.C. for further hearings.
Both remain in federal custody.
Michael Daughtry
Michael Daughtry has been charged with entering a restricted building. According to court documents, a number of Daughtry's posts on social media indicated that he was in Washington, D.C. He has been released on bond.
Benjamin Torre
Benjamin Torre has been charged with entering a restricted building and violent entry. The FBI said there are several videos tracking his movement throughout the Capitol building. He has also been released on bond.
Bruno Cua
Bruno Joseph Cua, an 18-year-old from Milton, Ga., is facing a long list of charges, including assault on a federal officer; civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding; restricted building or grounds; and entering or remaining on the floor or gallery of either House of Congress, violent entry or disorderly conduct, engage in physical violence, obstruct, or impede passage, and parade, demonstrate, or picket on Capitol Grounds.
According to the complaint, obtained by 11Alive, the FBI was first made aware of Cua's alleged involvement on Jan. 8, when the agency received at least two tips identifying Cua as possibly one of the people seen in the widely-distributed "persons of interest" posters from DC police.
In one of the tips, according to the complaint, a Milton Police officer told the FBI on Jan. 11, they recognized Cua in the poster because of a prior interaction they'd had with him.
The officer gave the FBI screenshots and pictures from Cua's Instagram account, which showed him in a similar jean jacket and hat as the person shown in the "persons of interest" poster.
More photos and video captured by The New Yorker and closed-circuit TV, according to the complaint, were included as part of the FBI's investigation.
According to Cua's social media posts, including posts shared on Parler that referenced plans to travel to DC on Jan. 6, claimed "President Trump is calling us to FIGHT!" - and a previous Jan. 3 encounter with Milton Police - in which he wore the same jean jacket - all led the FBI to believe there was enough probable cause to charge Cua with the federal crimes.
Court documents indicate Cua was seen on video shoving a Capitol Police officer. On Wednesday, Feb.10, 11Alive learned that a hearing for Cua was continued until Friday, Feb. 12.
Chris Stanton Georgia
Chris Stanton Georgia was charged with attempting to enter Capitol grounds, but shortly after he was charged and released, police said he committed suicide at his home.
According to the Superior Court of DC, Georgia was charged with attempting to "enter certain property, that is, the United States Capitol Grounds, against the will of the United States Capitol Police."
Documents show that around 7:15 p.m. on the night of the riots, Georgia along with several others were outside in violation of a District-wide 6 p.m. curfew.
When officers gave several warnings for the group to disperse, documents said they did not. Georgia and the group were placed under arrest as a result.
Police in Alpharetta said that Georgia died at his home on Saturday, Jan. 9. The Fulton County Medical Examiner said the death was due to suicide.
