Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Capitol rioter found with homemade napalm had folder with ‘good guy, bad guy’ list and numbers for Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity

Man said his explosive devices were filled with melted Styrofoam and gasoline

Graig Graziosi
Tuesday 12 January 2021 21:08 GMT
Comments
The folder carried by Lonnie Coffman, a Trump supporter at the Capitol riot, with numbers for Sen. Ted Cruz and conservatives media pundits written on the cover. He was found with 11 Molotov cocktails in his vehicle and two unregistered pistols.
The folder carried by Lonnie Coffman, a Trump supporter at the Capitol riot, with numbers for Sen. Ted Cruz and conservatives media pundits written on the cover. He was found with 11 Molotov cocktails in his vehicle and two unregistered pistols.

A 70-year-old Trump supporter who brought homemade napalm to the Capitol riot was reportedly also carrying a list of "good guys" and "bad guys" on the day of the insurrection that included the numbers of lawmakers and conservative political pundits.

Lonnie Coffman, of Alabama, was one of the thousands of rioters who attacked the US Capitol on 6 January.

Mr Coffman is one of 13 individuals who have been federally charged for actions taken during the attack on the Capitol. Police discovered 11 Molotov cocktails and guns in his vehicle.

Police also found a blue Motel 6 folder containing a "good guys" and "bad guys" list. One of the "bad guys" was a judge. The list also included the name of Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat, which the list notes "is one of two" Muslims in the House of Representatives.

Mr Coffman also scribbled the contact information for Sen. Ted Cruz and conservative political pundits Mark Levin and Sean Hannity on a folder that contained his list.

Mr Coffman also wrote a quote he attributed to Abraham Lincoln at the top of the page.  

“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who would pervert the Constitution,” the quote read.

Acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin spoke about the federal charges brought against the targeted Capitol rioters.

“My office, along with our law enforcement partners at all levels, have been expeditiously working and leveraging every resource to identify, arrest, and begin prosecuting these individuals who took part in the brazen criminal acts at the U.S. Capitol," Mr Sherwin said. "We are resolute in our commitment to holding accountable anyone responsible for these disgraceful criminal acts, and to anyone who might be considering engaging in or inciting violence in the coming weeks – know this: you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Mr Coffman has been charged with the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device) and carrying a pistol without a licence.

Police discovered the explosives and weapons while they were searching for a bomb near the Democratic headquarters in Washington DC.

Law enforcement reports said police saw a pistol on the front right passenger seat of a red pickup truck in the vicinity of the reported bomb.

Officers searched the vehicle and found a black pistol, as well as an M4 rifle with ammunition loaded into magazines.

Police also found the 11 Molotov cocktails in the truck as well as cloth rags and lighters.

After being questioned by law enforcement, Mr Coffman said the jars contained melted Styrofoam and gasoline.

The combination, when ignited, sticks to surfaces.

Mr Coffaman's federal detention hearing is scheduled for 12 January.

FBI Director Chris Wray said the federal charges are the first in the agencies efforts to hold the Capitol rioters accountable.

“Today’s charges are just the beginning of the FBI’s ongoing efforts to hold those responsible for the criminal acts of violence and destruction that unfolded during the US Capitol building breach on January 6th,” Mr Wray said. “To be clear, what took place that day was not First Amendment-protected activity, but rather an affront on our democracy. The FBI, along with our local, state and federal partners, is committed to ensuring that justice is served. We will continue to aggressively investigate each and every individual who chose to ignore the law and instead incite violence, destroy property, and injure others."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in