Arrested MARA rioter Lonnie Coffman, of Alabama, reportedly visited the house of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) before driving to Washington D.C. with a truck loaded with explosives ahead of the Jan. 6 insurrection, AL.com reports.
According to the news outlet, Coffman is “facing multiple charges in connection with the January riots at the U.S. Capitol must remain in jail until trial a federal judge ruled, citing in part new revelations that he drove to the home of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and he seemed “unbalanced” in a call to the senator’s office.”
“Since then, he has been indicted on 17 charges following the seizure of nearly a dozen Molotov cocktail explosive devices from his pickup truck, as well as a number of guns, ammo and concerning handwritten notes. A federal judge on Monday denied Coffman’s request that authorities reconsider a previous decision to keep him behind bars,” according to the report.
As the site noted, “Coffman’s truck was parked just a few blocks from the Capitol on the day of the Jan. 6 breach. Authorities noted he had apparently been living in the truck in the D.C. area for a week prior to the breach. Surveillance footage showed he parked the truck near the Republican National Club, a few blocks from the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, both targeted for reports of explosive devices, about 9:20 a.m. that Wednesday.”
“Other items found in Coffman’s truck and used as exhibits as to why he should remain in federal custody pending trial include a loaded 9 mm handgun, a loaded rifle, several large-capacity ammunition-feeding devices loaded with more than 10 rounds of rifle ammunition, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a crossbow with bolts, several machetes, camouflage smoke devices, a stun gun, and the 11 mason jars filled with flammable liquid, which authorities said was the equivalent to homemade napalm,” the site reported.
A Twitter thread about the hearing was posted by NBC Washington correspondent Scott MacFarlane:
Judge's order says Capitol riot defendant Lonnie Coffman did a drive around DC – including around US Capitol – on December 11, 2020
And attempted to drive to Texas Senator Ted Cruz's home.
Then – feds say – Coffman called the office … pic.twitter.com/zmDewvCVXE
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) May 24, 2021
Feds say they found paper in Coffman's wallet which links him to Camp Lonestar in Texas
Coffman was allegedly part of 2014 activity there "where he was armed with a crack barrel 12 gauge shotgun & a 9 mm pistol"
Feds say they then searched his home and found (more thread …) pic.twitter.com/qmYzeVbhB8
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) May 24, 2021
