2 Years After US Capitol Attack, Cases Against 4 RivCo Men Continue

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, marks two years since the attack on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted a joint session of Congress affirming the 2020 presidential election results.

Although 24 months have gone by, cases against four Southwest Riverside County residents accused of taking part in the melee are still winding through the judicial system.

Ronald Mele of Temecula, Erik Scott Warner of Menifee, Felipe Antonio "Tony" Martinez of Lake Elsinore, and Derek Kinnison of Lake Elsinore — all middle-aged men — continue fighting federal charges against them as well as a lawsuit filed by U.S. Capitol Police.

In the federal indictment, all four are charged with conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; and entering a restricted building or grounds. Kinnison and Warner are also each charged with tampering with documents or proceedings.

The men are additionally named as defendants in an August 2021 71-page complaint filed by U.S. Capitol Police in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In their lawsuit, the officers laid out their case with a historical timeline of how President Donald Trump and the defendants “provoked, aided, and joined … in an unlawful effort to use force, intimidation, and threats to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 Presidential election.”

According to the complaint, the Jan. 6 attack caused injuries to the officers that persist to this day — and the defendants are to blame.

Separately, three other local residents, all men in their 40s, accepted plea agreements from the U.S. Department of Justice for their part in the Jan. 6 attack.

Andrew Alan Hernandez of Jurupa Valley pleaded guilty in September to one count of aiding and abetting obstruction of an official proceeding. According to federal documents, he is facing up to 17 years in prison.

Rafael Valadez Jr. of Indio pleaded guilty in July to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building. He was sentenced in October to 30 days of incarceration and $500 restitution, federal documents show.

Kevin Strong of Wildomar also pleaded guilty in December 2021 to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building. He was sentenced in March to 24 months of probation, including 30 days of home detention, $500 restitution, and 60 hours of community service, according to federal documents.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released a statement Wednesday vowing that federal officials will not let up in their work to find and prosecute people who participated in the attack.

"Two years ago, the United States Capitol was attacked as lawmakers met to affirm the results of a presidential election. Perpetrators attacked police officers, targeted and assaulted members of the media, and interfered with a fundamental element of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next," Garland's statement read.

“Since then, countless agents, investigators, prosecutors, analysts, and others across the Justice Department have participated in one of the largest, most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in our history. ... This investigation has resulted in the arrest of more than 950 defendants for their alleged roles in the attack. We have secured convictions for a wide range of criminal conduct on January 6 as well as in the days and weeks leading up to the attack. Our work is far from over," he said.

Garland also paid tribute to five law enforcement officers "who responded selflessly on January 6 and who have since lost their lives: Officer Brian Sicknick, Officer Howard Liebengood, Officer Jeffrey Smith, Officer Gunther Hashida, and Officer Kyle DeFreytag.

“The Justice Department remains committed to honoring them," Garland continued. "We remain committed to ensuring accountability for those criminally responsible for the January 6 assault on our democracy. And we remain committed to doing everything in our power to prevent this from ever happening again.”