- North Carolina resident Chris Colonel was arrested in connection with the January 6 riots.
- Accessories such as Pit Viper sunglasses helped authorities identify him.
- Colonel also posed for photos with white supremacist Nick Fuentes and Baked Alaska the day before.
The North Carolina Capitol mob was charged by federal officials who identified him and friends by the brightly colored and sometimes painfully obvious accessories he wore while storming the Capitol.
Christopher Colonel, who appeared in court in Raleigh on Thursday, was caught by CCTV cameras with a bright red backpack with his last name sewn on the back. Other fashion statements that helped make included Pit Viper sunglasses and a blue face mask.
Colonel faces five charges for his participation in the riot, one of which is for obstructing, influencing, or obstructing official proceedings, and is sentenced to: Up to 20 years. Bowman is currently not charged, but it is unclear if he will.
A DOJ spokesperson did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Authorities were first alerted to Colonel and Bowman after arresting another mobster, Aiden Henry Billiards, in November 2021, according to a criminal complaint drafted by the FBI filed Wednesday. Judgment pending and face up to five years in prison.
After seizing Bilyard’s phone, authorities found a group chat with three of Bilyard’s friends, including Carnell and Bowman.
On November 14, 2020 — following the presidential election — friends posed for a photo with white supremacists Nick Fuentes and Tim Gionette at the “Million MAGA March,” according to a message sent in a group chat. rice field. Baked Alaskashared in a group chat.
Messages show that prior to January 6, 2021, the group was texting about plans to attend a “Stop the Steal” rally. On the day of the rally, Bowman boasted in an email to his friends that he had given Baked Alaska a pair of Pit Viper sunglasses, and informed authorities that he had been wearing them at some point during the day.
Two days after the riot, the group spoke in cipher about entering certain areas of the US Capitol. For example, they called the Capitol building the “Minecraft building” and asked their friends to delete their chat history “for fun.”
After reviewing the video footage, officers said a man in pit viper glasses and a blue mask was on the floor of the Senate talking to a man with a red MAGA hat and a red backpack named “CARNELL” sewn on with white thread. I found you.
On December 1, 2022, Bowman admitted in a random interview with an FBI agent that he was the one wearing the sunglasses and identified his friend Colonel as wearing the MAGA hat. bottom.
“Bowman further said that he had no idea what was going on on the Senate floor earlier in the day, but he knew Mike Pence had to prove something on the House floor,” he said. The affidavit said.
“Bowman explained that when he and Colonel actually entered the Senate floor, there was no clear purpose or agenda. He said, ‘As we are here… um… we are dogs.’ I know what to do
The affidavit said it had “probable cause” that Colonel and Bowman had committed multiple crimes.
Kernel is scheduled to appear in federal court in Washington, DC via Zoom at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
At least 1,000 people have been indicted in the Capitol riots so far, according to Congress. Insider database.
Recently, former President Donald Trump mythologized the mob in the form of the song “Justice for All,” which features multiple rebel voices singing the national anthem.
Bowman and Carnell did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.