Kelly Meggs is the self-described leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers: Google images

By Glynn Wilson –

Six more members of the right-wing domestic militia organization known as the Oath Keepers were arrested and charged Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice for conspiracy to obstruct Congress from certifying the Electoral College presidential election results on January 6 by planning a violent insurrection and engaging in a wide ranging plot to keep former President Donald Trump in power.

The significant conspiracy charges, filed in Federal District Court in Washington, D.C., accuse the Oath Keepers of military style advance planning and then donning paramilitary gear and storming the U.S. Capitol in a military-style “stack” formation that marched up the center steps on the east side of the Capitol, breached the door at the top, and then stormed into the building looking to do harm to members of Congress, including House Speaker Nanci Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence.

According to a press release put out on Twitter, which has still not gone out by email, acting U.S. Attorney for D.C. Michael R. Sherwin charged the following members of the Oath Keepers with conspiracy to obstruct Congress: Graydon Young, 54, of Englewood, Florida, was arrested on Monday in Tampa; Kelly Meggs, 52, and Connie Meggs, 59, both of Dunnellon, Florida, were arrested on Wednesday in Ocala; Laura Steele, 52, of Thomasville, North Carolina, was arrested on Wednesday in Greensboro; and Sandra Ruth Parker, 62, and Bennie Alvin Parker, 70, both of Morrow, Ohio, were arrested Thursday.

These six individuals were added as co-defendants to a superseding indictment filed in the case of United States v. Thomas Caldwell, Donovan Crowl, and Jessica Watkins, which alleges that Kelly and Connie Meggs, Young, Steele and Sandra Parker conducted advance planning and engaged in paramilitary-style activities on Jan. 6 during the violent Capitol insurrection.

Arrest mug shots of Connie Meggs, 59, and Kelly Meggs, 52, both of Dunnellon, Florida: Google images

The indictment charges all nine defendants with one count of conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, that is, to corruptly obstruct, influence, or impede an official proceeding; one count of depredation against federal government property; and unlawful entry, disorderly conduct, or violent conduct in restricted buildings or grounds. The indictment also charges Bennie Parker and Caldwell with obstructing the investigation by deleting social media content.

Graydon Young, 54, of Englewood, Florida:, at the Capitol insurrection Ja. 6: Google images

Kelly Meggs is the self-described leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, of which Connie Meggs, Young, and Steele also are alleged to be members, according to the 21-page indictment.

In late December, Kelly Meggs wrote in a Facebook message, “Trump said It’s gonna be wild!!!!!!! It’s gonna be wild!!!!!!! He wants us to make it WILD that’s what he’s saying. He called us all to the Capitol and wants us to make it wild!!! Sir Yes Sir!!! Gentlemen we are heading to DC pack your s***!!”

He went on to state, “[W]e will have at least 50-100 OK there.” According to the indictment, around the same time, Young allegedly arranged, for himself and others, training by a Florida company that provides firearms and combat training.

Arrest mug shot of Graydon Young, 54, of Englewood, Florida: Google images

The indictment alleges that Sandra and Bennie Parker traveled with Watkins and Crowl from Ohio to Washington, D.C. In the lead-up to the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Bennie Parker allegedly communicated extensively with Watkins about potentially joining her militia and combining forces for the events of Jan. 6.

The superseding indictment alleges that, in making plans for the events of Jan. 6, Kelly Meggs made statements, similar to those made by Watkins and Caldwell, that his group would not need to be armed for the attack on the U.S. Capitol, because there would be a “heavy QRF 10 Min out[.]” The abbreviation “QRF” is alleged to refer to “quick reaction force,” a term used by law enforcement and the military to refer to an armed unit capable of rapidly responding to developing situations, typically to assist allied units in need of such assistance.

The superseding indictment adds charges that, in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol, Caldwell and Young tampered with documents or proceedings by unsending and deleting Facebook content.

Related: Capitol Police Officers Face Investigation for Role in Capitol Insurrection

The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the DOJ’s National Security Division with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Florida, the Middle District of North Carolina, and the Southern District of Ohio. The superseding indictment is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Jacksonville Field Office, Tampa Field Office, Charlotte Field Office, and Cincinnati Field Office.

The FBI is looking for individuals who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit images or videos at www.tips.fbi.gov.