100 more people to be charged over Capitol riots, federal prosecutors warn

Law enforcement reviewing thousands of documents with more than 900 search warrants, documents show

Federal prosecutors expect “at least” 100 more people will face charges for the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on 6 January, after more than 400 people have been charged in connection with the attack.

The statement and details about the ongoing investigations were included in court filings for the case of Michael Joseph Rusyn, who was charged with entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct after live-streaming the attack.

Prosecutors are seeking a delay in his case, arguing the complexities of navigating a sprawling number of connected cases and evidence.

“The investigation and prosecution of the Capitol attack will likely be one of the largest in American history, both in terms of the number of defendants prosecuted and the nature and volume of the evidence,” prosecutors wrote in district court filings on Thursday.

More than 400 people face charges, and “the government expects that at least [100] additional individuals will be charged”, they said.

“While most of the cases have been brought against individual defendants, the government is also investigating conspiratorial activity” following investigations relying on more than 900 search warrants in nearly every state and Washington DC, more than 15,000 hours of surveillance footage, information obtained from 1,600 electronic devices, and more than 210,000 tips, including video and photos pulled from social media, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement also obtained “80,000 reports and 93,000 attachments” related to suspect and witness interviews, they wrote.

“As the Capitol attack investigation is still on-going, the number of defendants charged and the volume of potentially discoverable materials will only continue to grow,” they argued in filings. “In short, even in cases involving a single defendant, the volume of discoverable materials is likely to be significant.”

A mob of rioters – fuelled by Donald Trump’s persistent lie that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from him and his supporters – breached the Capitol during a joint session of Congress, during which lawmakers and then-Vice President Mike Pence certified electoral college results.

Federal law enforcement has charged roughly 40 alleged members of far-right groups including the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers militia with conspiracy.

Last week, a member of the Oath Keepers was the first person to plead guilty for their role in the riot.