Prosecutors Cite US Capitol Riots In Attempt To Revoke Bail For Heavily-Armed Man Arrested Near Philadelphia Vote Counting Center
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia authorities are asking to revoke the bail of a Virginia man who traveled to the Pennsylvania Convention Center where votes were being counted and was arrested on weapons charges, saying he attended Wednesday's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Joshua Macias, who in November drove to Philadelphia in a Hummer adorned with QAnon stickers, an AR-15-style rifle, ammunition and other weapons, has been free on $750,000 bail. Prosecutors filed a motion Thursday to revoke that bail, saying Macias' social media posts -- one of which they say showed him inside the security perimeter at the Capitol on Wednesday -- show he "at minimum" violated the terms of that bail.
Macias, 42, is the cofounder of the group Vets for Trump. He traveled to Philadelphia on Nov. 5 with Antonio LaMotta, 61. Both were charged with weapons violations after being arrested while walking to the Convention Center in the early morning hours with weapons they were not authorized to carry in Pennsylvania, authorities said.
Macias' attorney said Friday he plans to oppose District Attorney Larry Krasner's motion to rescind bail.
"What I witnessed inside the capital Wednesday was a total disgrace. But I've seen no evidence that my client was ever in the Capitol building," lawyer William J. Brennan said.
A preliminary hearing on the weapons charges is scheduled for later this month, when additional charges related to the November incident could be filed.
"My office is prepared to argue that this defendant's participation in the seditious, outrageous, and deadly invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in order to help a criminal president remain in office unlawfully meets the definition of violating terms of bail," Krasner wrote in an emailed statement.
(©Copyright 2020 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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