MITCHELL — A Bedford man was arrested Thursday, June 8th when federal agents went to a home at 2nd and Kelly Streets in Mitchell.
Police arrested Williams Lance Wilkerson for his alleged role on January 6, 2021, in the Capitol riot. Federal agents were able to identify Wilkerson after he sold scrap metal at a Bloomington scrapyard.
Wilkerson is facing four misdemeanor counts of unlawfully entering the US Capitol.
Under Indiana law, valuable metal dealers must verify a driver’s license when receiving scrap metals. According to charging documents, Wilkerson visited JB Salvage Inc. at least four times – including at least one time in December 2020 in which he wore the same green jacket he was wearing on Jan. 6. Wilkerson was then positively identified to the FBI by an acquaintance.
According to charging documents unsealed in federal court in D.C. on Monday, Wilkerson can be seen in surveillance footage entering the building through the Senate Wing doors at approximately 3:24 p.m.
Investigators say Wilkerson then made his way to the Crypt before leaving the building approximately five minutes later. While inside, Wilkerson was captured both on surveillance video and a live video that was broadcast by right-wing streamer Tim “Baked Alaska” Gionet. That video was used by authorities to identify numerous riot participants.
Gionet was sentenced in January to 60 days in prison after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Wilkerson also posted on Facebook photos of himself at the Capitol on Jan. 6 along with comments indicating his presence.
Based on the public court documents, below is a snapshot of the investigation as of the close of business Tuesday, January 3, 2023. Complete versions of most of the public court documents used to compile these statistics are available on the Capitol Breach Investigation Resource Page at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases.
Arrests made: More than 950 defendants have been arrested in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia. (This includes those charged in both District and Superior Court).
Criminal charges:
- More than 284 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, including approximately 99 individuals who have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.
- Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted on January 6 at the Capitol, including about 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and about 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department.
- Approximately 11 individuals have been arrested on a series of charges that relate to assaulting a member of the media or destroying their equipment, on January 6.
- Approximately 860 defendants have been charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds. Of those, 91 defendants have been charged with entering a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon.
- Approximately 59 defendants have been charged with destruction of government property, and approximately 36 defendants have been charged with theft of government property.
- More than 295 defendants have been charged with corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding, or attempting to do so.
- Approximately 50 defendants have been charged with conspiracy, either: (a) conspiracy to obstruct a congressional proceeding, (b) conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement during a civil disorder, (c) conspiracy to injure an officer, (d) seditious conspiracy, or some combination of the four.
Pleas:
- Approximately 484 individuals have pleaded guilty to a variety of federal charges, many of whom faced or will face incarceration at sentencing.
- Approximately 119 have pleaded guilty to felonies. Another 364 have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors.
- A total of 52 of those who have pleaded guilty to felonies have pleaded to federal charges of assaulting law enforcement officers. An additional 22 individuals have pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. Of these 74 defendants, 41 have now been sentenced to prison terms of up to 90 months.
- Four of those who have pleaded guilty to felonies have pleaded guilty to the federal charge of seditious conspiracy.
Trials:
- 40 individuals have been found guilty at contested trials, including 3 who were found guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Another 10 individuals have been convicted following an agreed-upon set of facts. 16 of these 50 defendants were found guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, a felony, including one who has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Sentencings:
- Approximately 351 federal defendants have had their cases adjudicated and received sentences for their criminal activity on January 6. Approximately 192 have been sentenced to periods of incarceration. Approximately 87 defendants have been sentenced to a period of home detention, including approximately 14 who also were sentenced to a period of incarceration.
