The Jan. 6 riots at the US Capitol led to the largest FBI criminal investigation in U.S. history. It’s been a full year since protestors and extremist groups tried to stop Congress from officially affirming the 2020 presidential election results.
In that time, prosecutors have charged 725 defendants, according to the Department of Justice. Most of them were charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds. 165 have pleaded guilty. About 40 defendants face more severe conspiracy charges, including some from extremist groups like the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and Proud Boys. So far, five of those defendants have pleaded guilty.
“Within ten weeks, we’re talking about I think close to a thousand search warrants, 1300 to 1500 grand jury subpoenas, 350 to 400 arrest warrants,” former Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin told CBS News. “So just a number unseen before in any probably federal district in history.”
The FBI has studied thousands of hours of social media, body cam and security camera footage. In addition, its agents have asked the public for help. The Department of Justice set up a website for people to review 16 videos and dozens of pictures to help identify those wanted by the FBI. The FBI is looking for an additional 350 people believed to have committed violent acts – including assaulting 250 police officers and a few members of the media.
“It would not surprise me if there were cases charged in 2022 or 2023,” Sherwin said.
The FBI is also still looking for the pipe bomber who left devices at both the Democratic and Republican Parties headquarters.
Video from the four-hour event has a great deal to do with how this investigation became so large. The public also helped with hundreds of thousands of tips, including 237,000 digital media tips for the FBI to follow.
