A man who allegedly brought guns, bombs and hundreds of rounds of ammunition to the Capitol riot last week was carrying a list of “good guys” and “bad guys,” prosecutors told a federal court on Tuesday.
The federal prosecutor’s office in Washington, D.C., submitted evidence photos of what it said was collected from a truck belonging to Lonnie Coffman, an Alabama man facing 17 counts of gun charges following his arrest near the Capitol last Wednesday.
Prosecutors included a picture of what appear to be some notes Coffman had written, including a list of public officials. He listed a federal judge as a “bad guy” and a note next to Rep. André Carson’s (D-Ind.) name, referring to him as “one of two Muslims in the House of Reps.”
Carson, a former police officer, said in a statement on Tuesday that he had never been notified by law enforcement that he was singled out by Coffman.
“It is extremely disturbing to learn from press reports that I was one of several individuals identified in a list of ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ targeted for attacks,” Carson said. “The indicted terrorist had the means and opportunity to carry out his plans to violently attack, injure and destroy government officials and related offices in our Nation’s Capitol. These were not idle threats. These were planned and organized measures to take my life, my colleagues’ lives and try to destroy our government.”
The Indiana Democrat is one of three Muslim members currently in the House.
The U.S. attorney’s office for D.C. submitted the evidence to support its request that Coffman remain in custody while awaiting trial.
“The nature and seriousness of the danger that the defendant would pose if released cannot be overstated,” the prosecutors wrote. “There are no conditions or combinations of conditions that would ensure the safety of the community and the defendant’s appearance as required.”
Authorities said last week that a search of Coffman’s truck near the Capitol had turned up a handgun, an assault rifle and 11 Molotov cocktails that prosecutors likened to “homemade napalm.”
The court filings on Tuesday appear to show that investigators also discovered a shotgun, a crossbow, several machetes, smoke bombs and a stun gun.
Coffman’s handwritten notes included a quote from Abraham Lincoln about overthrowing “the men who pervert the Constitution.” He lists two conservative journalists as “good” and what appears to be telephone numbers for Sean Hannity, conservative radio host Mark Levin and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
A public defender representing Coffman did not immediately respond when asked for comment.
— Updated at 2:30 p.m.