Authorities arrest Oath Keeper leader seen with Roger Stone
Authorities said on Monday that a man linked to the Oath Keepers militia group and former President Trump’s ally Roger Stone has been arrested.
ABC News reported that Roberto Minuta of Newburgh, N.Y., was arrested on Saturday after he was seen in a video walking alongside Stone while outside a D.C. hotel on Jan. 6, the day of the deadly Capitol breach.
The charges against Minuta have not yet been made public, according to ABC News.
Speaking to the outlet, Minuta’s wife confirmed that he was at the Capitol on the day of the riot but claimed that he never went inside, saying he was “another patriot outside the Capitol Building … standing up for freedom.”
ABC News noted that at least five people associated with the Oath Keepers have been arrested, with three charged with conspiracy.
In court filings, the FBI said the militia group “took steps to plan an operation to stop, delay, and hinder Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote.”
“I had no advance knowledge of the riot at the Capitol,” Stone told ABC News in regard to the video. “I could not even tell you the names of those who volunteered to provide security for me, required because of the many threats against me and my family.”
Stone has repeatedly denied any involvement in the events that occurred on Jan. 6 and claims to have never left his hotel that day before heading to Dulles International Airport. He has also rejected associations made between him and the people who flanked him on that day.
Oath Keepers provided security for Stone when he was in D.C., and as ABC News noted, they were known to have traveled with him on Jan. 6.
In February, it was reported that the Justice Department and the FBI had opened a probe into whether Stone, Alex Jones and “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander had a role in the Capitol breach.
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