Authorities Search for Over a Dozen Capitol Rioters Who Used a Metal Sign to Assault Law Enforcement on January 6th

     Nearly 1,500 arrests have been made in connection to the U.S. Capitol insurrection on January 6th, 2021. I'm beginning to worry, however. In an interview on MSNBC, one legal analyst noted that the load of cases is creating a situation similar to the conveyer belt scene in I Love Lucy, an overload that could soon result in catastrophe. 1,500 prosecutions for one major criminal action, ranging from petty misdemeanors all the way to dozens of cases of sedition and conspiracy, is already the largest criminal investigation in U.S. history. Still, these arrests represent just around half of the estimated criminals who need to face justice for January 6th: the hardest work is yet to come. At the current rate, the DOJ is on track to bust most of these people, but it may take until 2026 to finish up all of the arrests alone. 

     The Sedition Billboard case highlights this. In the span of a few seconds, dozens of people assaulted law enforcement with a giant metal-framed "TRUMP" sign, using the heavy object as a weapon to collapse the police line. This group of defendants has become known collectively as the "Sedition Billboard" group, and there have already been a number of arrests and convictions.

     Sean McHugh of California, a sex offender who also used chemical spray against law enforcement that day, has been sentenced to 78 months in prison, as has Tennessee resident Joseph Lino Padilla, who was actually acquitted of the charge involving the sign because the judge said his intent was unclear. Last month, Ohio resident Jonathan Copeland was convicted of assaulting law enforcement with a deadly weapon for his part in the attack. The arrests, meanwhile, continue to pour in. William George Knight of South Dakota was arrested last week, and Maryland resident Thomas Joseph Kelly the week before that.

     Still, there are many arrests yet to be made in this case. One such case is Florida resident Alesandro Valentino, AKA #ButterfingerPB. Many others, though, remain unidentified. Another is also a Florida resident, Jarod Lee Hawks, known to online sleuths as #grogbountyhunter. 

     These include #tightwhiteshirt, #baggyredwave, #SkullBB, #Khakistorm, #hufflepuff, #bubbacamocap, #YALP, #tunnelrat11, #swooshsigner, #coveredpusher, and #purplemaskmarmot. In the coming weeks and months, we'll be launching a public outreach campaign on social media to help identify these people. 

     Accountability is king, and democracy matters.