Phoenix Oath Keeper To Stay Jailed Until Trial For Capitol Riot

PHOENIX, AZ — A Phoenix man accused of coordinating teams that waited outside of Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, ready to deliver guns and ammunition to rioters on the ground at the U.S. Capitol will stay in jail until his trial, a judge decided Thursday.

Edward Vallejo, 63, is facing a charge of seditious conspiracy in addition to other charges, alongside 10 other members of the Oath Keepers for the part he's accused of playing in planning and supporting the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.

Together, the group of Oath Keepers is accused of plotting and attempting to use force to stop the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden, according to charging documents. The Oath Keepers are a far-right extremist group,

U.S. Magistrate Judge John Boyle decided that Vallejo should not be released before the trial because the judge believed Vallejo was a danger to the community.

The judge said Vallejo made incendiary comments about violence after the riot and added that there was no evidence that Vallejo was remorseful for his actions. The judge also rejected his attorney’s claim that Vallejo was a minor player in the plot the Oath Keepers are accused in.

In court documents, federal prosecutors claim that Vallejo traveled to Arlington, Virginia on Jan. 5, 2021, specifically to lead a QRF or quick reaction force team ready to bring weapons and ammunition to Oath Keepers rioting at the Capitol grounds.

Vallejo's team is accused of setting up at a hotel in Arlington, where Oath Keepers dropped off weapons for Vallejo and his team to deliver to them at their request, according to court documents.

In the midst of the rioting at the Capitol, Vallejo is accused of repeatedly messaging members of the Oath Keepers on the ground, offering to bring in the weapons if they were needed.

After the riot had ended, Vallejo is accused of saying it wasn’t over and offering to stay in Arlington to continue with reconnaissance. He added that he had enough food for 30 days.

Prosecutors say those charged in the plot discussed their plans in encrypted chats, traveled to the nation’s capital from across the country, organized into teams and used military tactics.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.