480 arrested in Capitol riot case, including at least 53 who have served in the military
America watched as hordes of rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol on January 6 — crushing through windows, pressing up stairways, and sending lawmakers and law enforcement running for their lives. The flood of protesters who streamed into the Capitol that day left federal authorities with an equally immense task: finding and charging those responsible.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said Tuesday that more than 480 defendants had been arrested in connection with the attack. The government has also indicated in court that prosecutors expect to charge up to 550 people total.
Prosecutors have called the case "unprecedented" in scale, and the government said in a March court filing that the Capitol attack "is likely the most complex investigation ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice."
As law enforcement continues to round up alleged rioters, here's what CBS News has learned about those who were arrested:
Over 480 defendants have been arrested and four have pleaded guilty
Of the more than 480 defendants who have been arrested in connection with the riots, CBS News has reviewed court documents for 463 defendants' cases that have been unsealed. Of those, at least 187 defendants were also indicted by grand juries.
So far, four defendants have pleaded guilty, including an Oath Keepers member who agreed to cooperate with the government and a man who took a selfie in the Senate chamber. For others, plea negotiations have been complicated by the vast amounts of evidence involved in the investigation.
Charges include assaults on officers, destruction of government property and conspiracy
More than 130 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employees, including more than 40 who were charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer, the Department of Justice said.
In total, CBS News has found that more than 150 officers were injured in the attack, according to sources on Capitol Hill and the Capitol Police union, as well as testimony from Metropolitan Police Chief Chief Robert Contee.
At least 35 defendants have been charged with conspiracy, a charge that alleges defendants coordinated with others to commit an offense. They include four alleged Three Percenters, 16 Oath Keepers who were indicted together in a single conspiracy case and 15 members or affiliates of the Proud Boys, who were charged in four separate conspiracy cases.
Approximately 440 defendants were charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds. More than 40 were charged with entering the Capitol with a dangerous or deadly weapon, while around 25 were charged with theft of government property, the Department of Justice said.
More than 30 defendants have been charged with destruction of government property, and during proceedings for three of those defendants, the government has said their crimes amounted to "terrorism" — an allegation that is not itself a charge but could influence prison sentences if they are found guilty.
Dozens of defendants have served in the military
At least 53 of those arrested are current or former military members. Of those, one is an active duty service member, four are current part-time troops in the Army Reserve or National Guard, and 48 previously served in the military, according to attorney statements, military service records and court documents obtained by CBS News.
At least 23 have served in the U.S. Marines, 20 have served in the Army, two served in the Navy and two served in the Air Force. One defendant, Jeffrey McKellop, was a communications sergeant with the Army Special Forces, a group known colloquially as the Green Berets.