A man accused of being a leader of a paramilitary group called the Oath Keepers was in contact with similar groups, including the Proud Boys, as early as mid-December to plan for potentially violent action in Washington on Jan. 6, according to a newly filed court document.
It was the first suggestion by the government that members of extremist groups were in touch with each other before arriving in Washington.
The allegation came in a Justice Department memo opposing pre-trial release for Kelly Meggs of Florida, NBC News reported. Prosecutors said he is one ten members of the Oath Keepers who played a leading role in the Capitol assault. Investigators have repeatedly said that members of both groups were among those who first breached the police lines around the Capitol and who first smashed their way into the building.
In the latest submission, prosecutors said Meggs "plotted with his co-conspirators to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote, prepared to use violence if necessary, and stormed the Capitol."
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Read the full story at NBCNews.com.
