A 40-year-old Fontana man has pleaded guilty to four federal criminal charges after participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, where he used a stun gun on a police officer.
Daniel Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, obstruction of justice and assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16.
Rodriguez used a stun gun on former Metropolitan Police Department Officer Michael Fanone during the insurrection, when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of votes declaring President Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election.
Rodriguez and others coordinated their actions in a Telegram group chat called “Patriots 45 MAGA Gang,” according to court documents.
“The group’s activities included collecting weapons and tactical gear to bring to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, storming past barricades to gain unlawful access to the Capitol, and coordinating activities before, during, and after the riot,” according to the DOJ.
Rodriguez also tried to “prevent evidence from being used in the investigation of his and his co-conspirators’ activities.”
Rodriguez’s March 31, 2021, arrest is one of nearly 1,000 since the breach of the Capitol.
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