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Edward Vallejo is one of 11 people prosecutors have linked to
the Oath Keepers and accused of seditious conspiracy, a
relatively rare charge. Vallejo is scheduled to appear before an
Arizona judge at 2:45 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (1945 GMT) for
a detention hearing.
Prosecutors say Vallejo is dangerous and want him behind bars
while his case unfolds.
In a Jan. 18 court filing, the Justice Department said Vallejo
was a co-conspirator in a plot orchestrated by Oath Keepers
leader Stewart Rhodes to attack Congress and forcefully oppose
the transfer of power between then-President Donald Trump, a
Republican, to his successor, Biden, a Democrat. The riot was
fueled by Trump's false claims that his November 2020 election
defeat was the result of fraud.
"Vallejo played a central role in the planned use of force in
this plot, agreeing and preparing to usher firearms and other
related equipment into Washington, D.C., to his
co-conspirators," the Justice Department said in the court
filing.
Prosecutors said that Vallejo "also poses a risk of obstruction
of justice should he be released."
Vallejo's court-appointed public defender said at a brief court
hearing last week that he would plead not guilty to all charges.
An indictment released on Jan. 13 against the 11 was the first
time suspected participants in the attack were charged with
seditious conspiracy, which is defined as attempting "to
overthrow, put down or to destroy by force the government of the
United States."
(Reporting by Jan Wolfe, additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch;
Editing by Scott Malone and Grant McCool)
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