A 24-year-old man from Aurora, Illinois, has been arrested and indicted on multiple felony charges, including assaulting a police officer, in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
James Robert Elliott, also known as Jim Bob, was taken into custody in Batavia on Monday and indicted on a total of six charges: civil disorder, assaulting an officer, entering a restricted building with a weapon, disorderly conduct in a restricted building with a weapon, engaging in violence in a restricted building with a weapon and engaging in an act of physical violence in the Capitol, according to the indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Five of those six charges are felonies, officials said.
Prosecutors said Elliott used a flagpole to assault officers while illegally on the grounds of the Capitol during the attack.
Elliott appeared via telephone for a hearing before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cummings on Tuesday. He was ordered released, but ordered to abide by a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, enforced with electronic monitoring, among other restrictions.
"What you've been accused of doing is extremely serious and dangerous conduct," Cummings told Elliott.
Elliott's public defender said she opposed the curfew but noted, "I agree that the allegations are concerning."
During the hearing, federal prosecutors said Elliott was captured on publicly available video yelling at the crowd during the attack, "Patriots, what is your occupation?" to which some responded, "Har-oo!"
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The exchange was a reference to the movie "300," prosecutors said.
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Elliott was one of hundreds of people whose identity was sought by a loose network of amateur sleuths who continue to scour the internet in an effort to put names with countless videos and images of those who participated in the uprising.
"Sedition hunters," as they're often called, typically refer to individuals at the Capitol using hashtagged nicknames while they work to uncover their identities and pass any information on to law enforcement.
One of those hunters previously pointed to a group they believed has ties to the Chicago area, which included Elliott, before he was identified and arrested. The hunter said Elliott was referred to as #AllBlackBabyThor because of his outfit and necklace, highlighting several photos and videos of him during the Capitol attack that were posted online. The hunter also noted that #AllBlackBabyThor had been spotted in the crowd at Proud Boys gatherings in suburban Schaumburg.
If convicted, Elliott could face anywhere from six months to 20 years in prison, as well as fines up to $250,000.
Federal proseuctors noted Tuesday that more than 700 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states in connection with the attack on the Capitol. Elliott is one of more than 220 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
