Two Montana brothers allegedly among the first ten rioters to breach the U.S. capitol building last month were arrested Monday and will be transported to D.C, where they’ll face federal charges.
Jerod and Joshua Hughes are accused of nine offenses, including entering the Capitol building with the intent to disrupt official business and impeding law enforcement.
According to the criminal complaint, Joshua and Jerod Hughes turned themselves in after seeing themselves in media coverage, but were not taken into custody at the time.
The Hughes' attorney Palmer Hoovestal says his clients are law abiding citizens and did not have riotous intent when they attended then-President Donald Trump’s rally in D.C. He says they joined other supporters at a march to the Capitol and got swept up in the crowd at the Capitol steps.
“The window was broken and people were entering and, for whatever reason, they entered in the building as well, and they didn’t have a clue where they were. They didn’t have any goal or any point toward going in. It’s something they regret and that they’ll forever regret,” Hoovestal said.
An FBI review of video surveillance and social media confirmed that the Hughes joined other rioters climbing through a broken window into the Capitol and Jerod, with another person, kicked a door until the lock broke so others could enter.
The criminal complaint says once the door was open, the brothers went back into the building towards the Senate Floor and were at the front of the group that advanced on a Capitol Police officer there.
According to the complaint, video footage shows the Hughes and others entering the then empty Senate floor, sitting in Senators’ seats, opening their desks and looking at material.
The charges were filed in Washington D.C. The Hughes were ordered detained until they can be transferred to D.C. by the U.S. Marshals Service.
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