Manhunt underway to find Proud Boy who was gone on run days before Jan 6 sentencing
Christopher Worrell, 52, was found guilty of dispersing pepper spray gel on police officers, as the mob stormed the US Capitol in 2021
A member of the Proud Boys who was convicted on multiple charges for his actions in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol was scheduled to be sentenced on Friday – but he has gone missing.
Christopher Worrell, 52, of Naples, Florida, was found guilty of dispersing pepper spray gel on police officers as the mob stormed the Capitol in 2021 while Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
Worrell has been on house arrest in Florida since he was released from jail in November 2021 after a judge substantiated his civil-rights complaints about his treatment in the jail.
The Proud Boy, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and at one point contracted Covid-19 while at the jail, also claimed officials had dragged their feet in getting him medical treatment for a broken finger.
Federal prosecutors were seeking a sentence of 14 years for Worrell, according to the government’s sentencing memorandum which was submitted on Sunday.
But for now, the sentencing has been canceled and a bench warrant for Worrell’s arrest was issued, according to court records, as the FBI continues to search for him.
“Worrell is wanted for violating conditions of release pending sentencing on federal charges related to the violence at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021,” an official wanted poster states.
“A federal arrest warrant was issued for Worrell in the United States District Court, District of Columbia, Washington, D.C., on August 15, 2023.”
“We are interested in hearing from any members of the public who might have information regarding Mr. Worrell’s whereabouts,” Patty Hartman, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, told CNN in a statement.
Worrell was convicted by Judge Lamberth on all seven charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding by lawmakers, assaulting officers during the riots and engaging in violence on Capitol grounds.
“The evidence demonstrates that Mr Worrell travelled to Washington, DC, for the purpose of ensuring that the Electoral College Certification of President Biden failed,” Mr Lamberth said in a written version of his ruling against Worrell.
“The evidence shows that he then furthered that goal, by both joining the mob and then by spraying the officers,” he added.
Authorities are also on the hunt for three other January 6 defendants who are on the run, according to the FBI.
Joseph Daniel Hutchinson III, Jonathan Daniel Pollock and Olivia Michele Pollock are all on the FBI wanted list.
Ms Pollock, sister of Jonathan Pollock, fled just before the start of her trial, the New York Times reported. The three are on the FBI’s wanted list.
Another January 6 defendant fled to Europe in February 2021 and was granted asylum in Belarus.
Worrell’s associate and co-defendant, Daniel Scott, who is also affiliated with the Florida chapter of the Proud Boys, received a five-year prison sentence last month.
Anyone with information about Worrell’s whereabouts is urged to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate.