WASHINGTON – (INT) – Four Riverside County men have drawn prison terms up to 33 months for their participation in the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Sentenced Friday (April 19th) were:
- Erik Scott Warner, 48, of Menifee
- Felipe Antonio Martinez, 50, of Lake Elsinore
- Derek Kinnison, 42, of Lake Elsinore
- Ronald Mele, 54, of Temecula

A U.S. District Court judge in Washington, DC also ordered each defendant to pay $2,000 restitution and complete 36 months of supervised release.

The defendants were convicted of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assorted misdemeanor offenses.

They were members of a Three Percenter militia in Southern California. Prosecutors say the quartet coordinated and conspired together to arrange travel from California to Washington, to collect weapons, and to obstruct Congress’ certification of the Electoral College. Among other methods of communication, the men used a Telegram chat entitled “The California Patriots – DC Brigade” to coordinate logistics and to discuss their intentions for January 6th, 2021.

All defendants were convicted of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding following a 17-day jury trial. Warner and Kinnison were also convicted of tampering with documents or records. In addition to the felony convictions, all four men were also found guilty of assorted misdemeanors.

According to the evidence at trial, in the weeks and months prior to January 6th, the men, all of whom were members of a Three Percenter militia in Southern California, coordinated and conspired together to arrange travel from the Inland Empire to Washington, D.C., to collect weapons, and to obstruct certification of the 2020 presidential election. Among other methods of communication, the men used a Telegram chat entitled “The California Patriots – DC Brigade” to coordinate logistics and to discuss their intentions for January 6th.

On that day, the group went to the Ellipse for the “Stop the Steal” rally and afterward headed toward the Capitol. As the four men approached the Capitol at approximately 2:00 p.m., Kinnison announced, “This is the storm of the Capitol,” as they moved through the crowd.

Since then, 13-hundred-87 individuals have been charged for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Story Date: April 26, 2024