A Marine veteran’s self-published guide documenting his involvement within the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol led to his arrest Thursday on felony fees, together with assaulting legislation enforcement officers.
Nathan Thornsberry, 42, of North Department, Michigan, wrote the guide, “January 6: A Patriot’s Story,” and was utilizing Fb to advertise a revision, “January sixth Redux: A Patriot’s Story.” An acquaintance noticed Thornsberry’s social media submit in regards to the second guide and submitted a tip to the FBI, in keeping with courtroom paperwork.
The Justice Division stated authorities used video footage and pictures from the Capitol breach to establish Thornsberry and cost him with felony fees of obstructing legislation enforcement throughout a civil dysfunction and assaulting, resisting or impeding sure officers, in addition to 4 misdemeanors.
Police bodycam footage confirmed Thornsberry pressed in opposition to a metallic bike rack officers have been utilizing as a barricade. Authorities allege Thornsberry pushed in opposition to the barricade and yelled, “Convey it!”
Within the pictures of Thornsberry on Jan. 6, he’s sporting a black jacket with a big U.S. Marine Corps emblem on the again, in addition to a “Trump 2020″ shirt and gloves with bolstered knuckles.
The Marine Corps confirmed Tuesday that Thornsberry served for 5 years and reached the rank of corporal earlier than leaving the service in 2011. He labored as an air visitors controller and fight engineer, and he deployed to Afghanistan in 2009. Thornsberry’s final obligation station was Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the place he served as a part of the eighth Engineer Help Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group.
Thornsberry revealed his first guide underneath the title Nathaniel Matthews in February 2022 and offered copies on Amazon, authorities allege. An outline of the creator on Amazon says Matthews is an Afghanistan Battle veteran who served within the Marine Corps. The FBI subpoenaed Amazon for data that present the Nathaniel Matthews creator account was registered by Nathan Thornsberry.
The revised model of the guide was posted on the market in March 2023. In response to courtroom paperwork, an excerpt of the guide stated, “This work is predicated on the eyewitness report of the creator and assessment of obtainable video and images.”
Within the guide, Thornsberry wrote he traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the Cease the Steal protest, which consisted of supporters of former President Donald Trump who believed unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud within the 2020 election. Thornsberry additionally described his perception of a conspiracy principle a couple of deep state group of unelected officers secretly controlling the U.S. authorities.
In his description of the occasions on the Capitol, Thornsberry wrote he was making an attempt to guard different protesters when he was pushed in opposition to the police line. That account will not be according to video footage from the scene, which exhibits Thornsberry “voluntarily pushing in opposition to the police line with nobody blocking his exit,” federal authorities stated in courtroom paperwork.
With Thornsberry’s arrest, almost 1,500 folks from all 50 states have been charged with crimes associated to the breach of the Capitol, and 550 folks have been charged with assaulting or impeding legislation enforcement, the Justice Division stated.
As of Might, 222 of the people charged or convicted for his or her involvement that day had army backgrounds, in keeping with information from the Nationwide Consortium for the Examine of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism.
This story was produced in partnership with Army Veterans in Journalism. Please ship tricks to MVJ-Suggestions@militarytimes.com.
Nikki Wentling covers disinformation and extremism for Army Occasions. She’s reported on veterans and army communities for eight years and has additionally lined expertise, politics, well being care and crime. Her work has earned a number of honors from the Nationwide Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Arkansas Related Press Managing Editors and others.
