The 70-year-old Alabama man arrested during the Capitol riot is now among 13 people who have been charged federally.
Lonnie Coffman is charged with possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device) and carrying a pistol without a license. Authorities contend that Coffman’s vehicle contained 11 Molotov cocktail explosive devices and guns.
“The lawless destruction of the U.S. Capitol building was an attack against one of our Nation’s greatest institutions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin.
“My Office, along with our law enforcement partners at all levels, have been expeditiously working and leveraging every resource to identify, arrest, and begin prosecuting these individuals who took part in the brazen criminal acts at the U.S. Capitol. We are resolute in our commitment to holding accountable anyone responsible for these disgraceful criminal acts, and to anyone who might be considering engaging in or inciting violence in the coming weeks – know this: you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Coffman lists an address in Eva which is in Morgan County, and formerly lived in Cullman County. Coffman’s ex-wife said he is a big Trump supporter, but said she was not aware of his arrest and declined to comment further about him. Efforts to reach some of Coffman’s children for comment weren’t immediately successful.
Coffman has no prior arrests in Alabama and does not appear to have any social media presence. Law enforcement officials in Cullman County and Morgan County said they have had no known dealings with him.
The affidavit in the case against Coffman outlines what led to his Wednesday arrest.
United States Capitol Police at 12:47 p.m. Wednesday responded to a report of a possible explosive device in the vicinity of the National Republican Club, which is located at 300 First Street, Southeast, in Washington, D.C., according to the affidavit in Coffman’s case.
A short time later, they received a report of an additional possible explosive device at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, which is located at 430 South Capitol Street, about three blocks from the National Republican Club.
The bomb squad of the United States Capitol Police responded to both locations to provide assistance in the investigation and to render the possible explosive devices safe.
Also, as part of its response to the two reports of explosive devices, Capitol Police set up a perimeter and brought in bomb-sniffing dogs to sweep vehicles in the vicinity of the explosive device.
While doing so, officers spotted the handle of what appeared to be a firearm on the front right passenger seat of a red GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck with Alabama license plate 52HJ703.
A law enforcement database check of the vehicle registration revealed that the vehicle was registered to Coffman in Falkville. After addressing the explosive devices found in the vicinity of the National Republican Club and the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, the bomb squad responded to the location of the Red GMC Sierra Pickup truck.
One black handgun was recovered from the right front passenger seat of the vehicle. After locating the black handgun, officers proceeded to search the rest of the pickup truck, including the bed of the truck, which was secured under a fabric top.
During the search of the cab of the truck, officers recovered, among other things, one M4 Carbine assault rifle along with rifle magazines loaded with ammunition. Also removed from Coffman’s vehicle were:
- 11 Mason jars containing an unknown liquid with a golf tee in the top of each jar
- Cloth rags
- Lighters
All of those items, authorities said, are the components of Molotov cocktails. Based on this discovery, additional personnel were called
More investigators responded to the scene and determined that the liquid in the mason jars was an igniting substance consistent with gasoline.
ATF agents deemed them destructive devices.
About 6:30 p.m., a blue sedan with a female driver and a male front passenger approached law enforcement officers in the 400 block of First Street, Southeast. Officers made contact with the vehicle, and the male passenger stated that he was trying to get to his vehicle that was parked in the 300 block of First Street, Southeast, which is the location that the Red GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck had been located and searched.
When the officers asked the man to provide a description of the vehicle, the male passenger stated that it was a red pickup truck. The officers then asked what the male passenger’s name was, and he stated that his name was “Lonnie.”
Coffman then asked officers whether they had located the bombs, which officers initially understood to be a reference to the components to the destructive devices located in Coffman’s truck, but later understood to be a reference to the secure perimeter that had been set up by law enforcement, which perimeter had kept Coffman from returning to his car earlier.
Based on his statements, and their understanding of those statement’s at the time, officers asked Coffman to step out of his vehicle so that they could assist him. When he got out, they asked him if he had any weapons on him, and he told officers he had gun in his right fronts pants pocket.
He was then detained and a 9 mm Smith &Wesson seized from him, as well as his car keys. Police also took a 22-caliber handgun from his pocket. Neither of the guns were registered, authorities said.
Under later questioning, Coffman told investigators the Mason jars contained melted Styrofoam and gasoline.
An ATF explosive experts said that those two things are an explosive mixture that has the effect of napalm in that it causes flammable liquid to better stick to objects that it hits upon detonation.
Law enforcement reviewed video surveillance footage from the area where the vehicle was discovered. The video footage indicates that the vehicle was parked there at around 9:15 a.m., and that around five minutes later one and only one individual departed the vehicle from the driver’s side door.
The video footage reveals that the person who departed the vehicle was wearing a jacket with a patch consistent with clothing worn by Coffman when he was arrested.
Coffman’s federal detention hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12.
The other 12 arrested are:
- Cleveland Meredith was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with making interstate threats to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
- Richard Barnett, of Arkansas, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful entry; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and theft of public money, property, or records. Barnett allegedly entered a restricted are of the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
- Mark Leffingwell, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; assault on a federal law enforcement officer; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Leffingwell allegedly entered the Senate side of the Capitol and when stopped by law enforcement, struck an officer in the helmet and chest. Leffingwell is currently being held and has a detention hearing in district court today.
- Christopher Alberts, of Maryland, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with carrying or having readily accessible, on the grounds of the United States Capitol Building, a firearm and ammunition. Specifically a Taurus G2C, 9mm handgun and 9mm caliber ammunition. The defendant appeared in district court and was released. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 28, 2021.
- Joshua Pruitt, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. The defendant appeared in district court and was released. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 28, 2021.
- Matthew Council, of Florida, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Council allegedly unlawfully entered the Capitol building, and when stopped by law enforcement, he pushed the officer.
- Cindy Fitchett, of Virginia, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
- Michael Curzio, of Florida, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
- Douglas Sweet, of Florida, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
- Bradley Ruskelas, of Illinois, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
- Terry Brown, of Pennsylvania, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
- Thomas Gallagher was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Additionally, multiple others have been arrested and charged in Superior Court with offenses such as unlawful entry, curfew violations, and firearms-related crimes. The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and are being investigated jointly by the FBI; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; United States Marshals Service; U.S. Capitol Police Department; and the Metropolitan Police Department.
“Today’s charges are just the beginning of the FBI’s ongoing efforts to hold those responsible for the criminal acts of violence and destruction that unfolded during the U.S. Capitol building breach on January 6th,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said of those charged federally. “To be clear, what took place that day was not First Amendment-protected activity, but rather an affront on our democracy. The FBI, along with our local, state and federal partners, is committed to ensuring that justice is served. We will continue to aggressively investigate each and every individual who chose to ignore the law and instead incite violence, destroy property, and injure others. "