Kansans charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol include alleged members of the Proud Boys, a Topeka City Council candidate and others who’ve since expressed regret for their actions.
by Dan Margolies, KCUR, Kansas News Service
One year after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol, 64% of Americans believe U.S. democracy is “in crisis and at risk of failing,” according to an NPR/Ipsos poll.
Five people died during or after the insurrection, and approximately 140 members of law enforcement suffered injuries.
To date, more than 700 people have been charged with crimes. Based on court records and media accounts, here are all the people from Kansas who are facing charges and, in instances where they’ve pleaded guilty, the outcomes of their cases.
Ryan Ashlock
Ashlock, of Gardner, was arrested in Lenexa on Feb. 22, 2021.
He was charged with conspiracy; obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and aiding and abetting; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; and carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon.
The Kansas City Star reported that he was part of a group of Kansas City-area Proud Boys, including William Chrestman, Christopher Kuehne and Louis Enrique Colon, as well as Arizona siblings Felicia Konold and Cory Konold.
Ashlock was also named as a defendant in a separate civil suit brought by the attorney general of the District of Columbia against the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers and multiple individuals. The suit accuses the defendants of “conspiring to terrorize the District” in connection with the Capitol insurrection.
William Chrestman
Chrestman, of Olathe, was arrested in Olathe on Feb. 11, 2021.
He was charged with conspiracy; obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and aiding and abetting; threatening a Federal Officer; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; and carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon.
He allegedly acted in concert with Christopher Kuehne, Louis Enrique Colon, Felicia Konold and Cory Konold. The Army veteran has been incarcerated since his arrest and remains in jail, according to court documents. Chrestman also is a defendant in the civil lawsuit filed by the attorney general of the District of Columbia.
Michael Eckerman
Eckerman, of Wichita, was arrested in Wichita on Sept. 20, 2021.
An affidavit filed by an FBI special agent alleged he was nearby when a Capitol police officer shot and killed Ashli Babbit as she attempted to climb through a broken window to enter the House of Representatives.
He was charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding; disorderly conduct in the Capitol building; entering and remaining in a restricted building; entering and remaining on the floor of Congress; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building; and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
Eckerman told Wichita television station KAKE in September that he wasn’t armed and didn’t assault or even touch an officer.
Christopher Kuehne
Kuehne, of Olathe, was arrested in Missouri on Feb. 11, 2021.
Indicted along with Ashlock, Chrestman, Colon, Felicia Konold and Cory Konold, he was charged with conspiracy; civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Kuehne also is a defendant in the civil lawsuit filed by the attorney general of the District of Columbia.
Jennifer Ruth Parks
Parks, of Leavenworth, self-surrendered in Kansas City, Kansas, on April 23, 2021.
She was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
On Sept. 28, Parks pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. On Dec. 8, she was sentenced to 24 months’ probation and ordered to pay restitution of $500.
Parks has since expressed regret about participating in the breach of the Capitol. A sentencing memorandum submitted in her case last month included a letter from her:
“If I could have that day back, I would not have gone to Washington, D.C., and I certainly would not have gone into the Capitol building. I sincerely apologize for my actions. I believe I am wiser and more discerning now than I was then and will spend years trying to make it up to the people I’ve disappointed.”
William Alexander Pope
Pope, of Topeka, was arrested in Topeka on Feb. 12, 2021.
He was charged with civil disorder; obstructing an official proceeding; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; impeding passage through the Capitol; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Pope unsuccessfully sought a seat on the Topeka City Council in 2019, according to the Kansas Reflector.
Pope, doctoral student and graduate teaching assistant at Kansas State University, told the Topeka Capital-Journal last January that he was “not violent or destructive” and had reported himself to the FBI.
Mark Roger Rebegila
Rebegila, of St. Marys, was arrested in Topeka on March 15, 2021.
He was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building and engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct. During the insurrection, he entered Capitol grounds with a flag zip-tied to a piece of plastic pipe, trespassed in offices and took selfies.
On Dec. 1, 2021, he pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. His sentencing is set for March 10, 2022.
Esther Schwemmer
Schwemmer, of Leavenworth, was arrested in Kansas City, Kansas, on April 23, 2021.
She was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds.
On Sept. 28, Schwemmer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
The government’s sentencing memorandum in Schwemmer’s case said that early in the investigation, on Jan. 17, 2021, she agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement. It said she “accepted responsibility for her actions and admitted that she had entered the Capitol.” It also noted that, through her attorney, she “expressed a desire to plead guilty, acknowledge her conduct, and promptly resolve her case.”
She is set to be sentenced on Jan. 10, 2022.
Were you at the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and open to talking with KCUR about it? Contact [email protected].
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