It’s been a while since I’ve covered the ongoing Jan6th deadly insurrection - I had to take a break because covering the cases on a daily (and sometime multiple times a day) was starting to wear on me and it was putting me in a bad head space. Unfortunately sometimes I need to take a moment and make sure that my
feelings are not obscuring my objectivity & my typically disciplined approach/adherence to the facts. Because facts matter and presenting them in an agnostic manner should be paramount.
18th Oath Keeper DAVID MOERSCHEL charged
Arrested in the Middle District of Florida and was subsequently charged -with three counts, via Criminal Complaint
one count 18 U.S.C. §1512(c)(2) Obstruction of Justice/Congress
one count 18 U.S.C. §31 Conspiracy
one count of 18 U.S.C. 1752(a) Unlawful Entry into Restricted Buildings or Grounds
For reference you’ll want to bookmark this previous (May 2021) article because the recently filed and unsealed criminal complaint adds a new Defendant—brining the new Oath Keeper Tally to 18 charged and/or indicted. Thus far only Graydon Young has executed a plea agreement - in early April 2021 I was “low key” y’all pay attention because this is important - while live blogging simultaneously as the hearing. The FBI doesn’t provide any substantive details beyond the date they “interviewed” Defendant MOERSCHEL and clearly MOERSCHEL‘s Attorney had substantive discussion(s) yes plural. (Spoiler see paragraphs 40 and 45 of the Affidavit)
Oath Keepers Defendant # 18 DAVID MOERSCHEL
You might also want to bookmark these two previous articles concerning Graydon Young’s Plea Agreement- found here and here —the latter has the actual plea agreement and statement of facts embedded in the article -as you’ll note on page 7 of the Affidavit (or via my public drive) concerning the pre 4th of July arrest of David Moerschel
So things you never and I mean never want to see in an Affidavit, your name, the exact date and time …and the prolific use of quotation marks because that means the FBI agents have you “dead to rights” and you are bigly screwed. The fact Defendant MOERSCHEL used his actual cell phone to participate in the encrypted signal chats - I don’t know why but that makes me laugh — hence my comment “opsec super sucky”—because - here you read it:
…the government obtained Signal encrypted message content for a group “OK FL DC OP Jan 6.” This Signal group message appears to have been used by members of the Oath Keepers – including defendants Kelly Meggs, Harrelson, and Watkins – to coordinate in advance of and on January 6, 2021. User “Hatsy” posted in the group on January 5, 2021, among other things, “@ GATOR 6, @ OK Gator 1 when do you want to stop for gas?”
Government obtained records from Strip & MasterCard
I don’t think there would be any doubt that the Investigators would be hot and fast with following the money. I say this with zero respect intended
“this is who Trump sent to over throw our Government” After spending months of screaming his Big Lie, he also had the help of the Right Wing News echo chamber (Fox News is literally bad for America and in general democracy’s all over the global. Fox News isn’t news it’s manufactured and courted “news” He summonsed minions to attack the very heart of our Democracy. sacrosanct
With respect to Defendant MOERSCHEL the followed the money, that is payment made by Stripe to the Oath Keepers and subsequently his debt card use at several food establishments in NoVa Jan 5th thru the 7th…the records obtained indicate that the defendant sent ,
The group includes Moerschel (red arrow) and defendants Joseph Hackett (green arrow) and William Isaacs (yellow arrow)
The Government then reviewed the Surveillance footage from the exterior of the Capitol …shows an individual who appears to be Moerschel (red arrow) with other Oath Keepers, including Kelly Meggs (green arrow), walking towards the eastern façade of the Capitol at 2:27 p.m. Moerschel appears to be wearing a long sleeve black jacket and backwards green baseball cap with an Oath Keepers insignia
Now is the time for you to pay attention —because the subtext of paragraph 42 —is Defendant MOERSCHEL might (emphasis on might) be the next Oath Keeper to negotiate a plea agreement with the Government
Oh wait there’s so much more - see paragraph 45 trust me on that…
June 14, 2021, the FBI recovered from Moerschel’s attorney a black flak vest (without Velcro patches) that appears to be consistent with the one Moerschel is wearing in the above photo.
Comfort Inn Oath Keepers QRF “one long gun case”
I am genuinely sick of seeing/hearing Republicans in Congress in their messed up loyalty to Donald Trump attempting to downplay what happened on Jan 6th. As a Country we all saw in near real time the violent mob that Trump et al summoned to our US Capitol. The false and wildly specious narrative that “they weren’t armed —what’s the bid deal” truly grates my nerves.
The body of concrete and particularized facts that the FBI’s investigation has (and is continuing to) created, one can easily can draw an actual through line from November 2020 to Jan 6th. That is, Trump’s Big Lie was the catalyst that groups like the Oath Keepers, III%ers, Proud Boys and Army of God needed to not only plan but to execute a well coordinated attack on our Democracy.
…the government has evidence that several defendants and other individuals stored firearms at the Comfort Inn Ballston in Arlington, Virginia, from January 5 through 7, 2021, and that they referred to this hotel as the “QRF” (or Quick Reaction Force) hotel.
Pursuant to legal process, the government obtained surveillance video from the Comfort Inn Ballston on January 7, 2021, showing three individuals wheeling a concierge cart with at least one long gun case onto an elevator. An individual that appears to be Moerschel can be seen wearing a long black jacket
I now draw your attention to paragraph 45 of the Affidavit - sidenote it might be a good idea to review his criminal records in Tennessee and North Carolina and Port Mary FL —because
July 2, 2021 MOERSCHEL release
…on a $25,000.00 unsecured bond and a bunch of restrictions —again this was in the “arresting district” that being the Middle District of Florida https://ecf.flmd.uscourts.gov/doc1/047023191273 or via my public drive
hasn’t been uploaded to the DOJ Capitol Violence database but I would bookmark the embedded DOJ link1 another excellent open source database is The George Washington University-Project on Extremism 2
United States v. Moerschel MDFL MJ Case No 2:21-mj-01091 3 arresting district is MDFL
July 2, 2021 Arrest - Rule 5(c)(2) / Rule 32.1 (original jurisdiction is DDC) https://ecf.flmd.uscourts.gov/doc1/047023187662
July 2, 2021 - Order Setting Conditions of Release AND Bond
United States v. MOERSCHEL DDC MJ-Case No 1:21-mj-00512
Docket Report https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/DktRpt.pl?233008
For reference MOERSCHEL‘s case will likely be rolled up into the ongoing Caldwell et al criminal case 4- see July 2, 2021 Minute Entry below - which reads in part:
…held via videoconference on 7/2/2021. In the interests of justice, and for the reasons stated on the record, the time from 7/3/2021 through and including 9/8/2021 shall be excluded in computing the date for speedy trial as to defendants Caldwell (1), Crowl (2), Watkins (3), S. Parker (4), B. Parker (5), Steele (7), K. Meggs (8), C. Meggs (9), Harrelson (10), Minuta (11), James (12), Walden (13), Dolan (15), and Issacs (16).
Status Conference set for 8/10/2021 at 10:00 AM via videoconference before Judge Amit P. Mehta. Motion Hearing set for 9/8/2021 at 2:00 PM in Courtroom 10
-
Department of Justice Capitol Violence Database https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases
The GW Program on Extremism is in fact an excellent open source database for various criminal cases filed. I find that they tend to be extremely timely and at times has the information available before the DOJ has uploaded it. https://extremism.gwu.edu/Capitol-Hill-Cases
and of course your tried -true and tested PACER - MDFL MJ Case https://ecf.flmd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/DktRpt.pl?391571
see Caldwell Folder on my Public Drive
Quick thoughts are: released on unsecured bond 😡, thankful stupid enough to forget about hotel security cams, we were incredibly lucky Jan 6 wasn't a lawmaker massacre and my blood boils at GOP's harmless "tourist" event smoke screen. Grateful for the iron willed determination of my home state's indomitable Speaker Pelosi. I was missing your keen insurrectionist analyses Filey, but figured correctly that you needed a break from it. Self care💛
Can't even tell you how happy it makes me that these idiots continue to be arrested daily.