Centralia man charged in connection with Jan. 6 Capitol breach
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Centralia man was arrested in Osage Beach and charged in federal court on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
A federal prosecutor has charged Jerod Thomas Bargar, 36, with the felony offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm on Capitol grounds or buildings. He also is charged with related misdemeanor offenses.
Bargar will make his initial court appearance on Wednesday in the Western District of Missouri, according to a release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, Bargar allegedly brought a loaded gun across state lines and into the District of Columbia illegally. He took the gun to a rally near the Ellipse and then onto restricted grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Bargar was not licensed to carry a firearm in the District of Columbia. Officers recovered the weapon from the ground. The gun was in a distinctive holster that displayed an image of the American flag and the words, “We The People” written on it. Bargar later was linked to the gun following a law enforcement investigation according to court records.
A tip to the FBI stated that Barger and friends posted to Facebook that they were ten feet away from the person who was shot inside the Capitol.
Bargar told investigators that he is always armed and wanted to be armed when he went to the "belly of the beast" for his own "self-protection." Bargar also said he didn't know it was illegal to possess a gun in Washington, D.C. or on federal property.
Bargar went before Magistrate Judge Sarah W. Hays on Wednesday via teleconference.
Bargar requested counsel and Troy Stabenow was appointed to represent Bargar, according to online court records.
Bargar was released on certain conditions that were reviewed by the court.
Bargar's next hearing is scheduled for a video conference on August 11.
This is the second Mid-Missouri man that was arrested and charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.
On March 29, A Versailles man has been arrested in connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
55-year-old Matthew Loganbill faces charges for obstruction of congressional proceedings, unlawful and violent entry and disorderly conduct.
According to court documents, he was arrested after witnesses told police that he posted his involvement in the riot on social media.
Loganbill is a federal firearms dealer and the owner of a gun shop in Gravois Mills.
In the 18 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 850 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 260 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
