Alabama man with ties to Oath Keepers militia arrested in connection to Capitol riot

David K. Li and Helen Kwong
Updated ·2 min read

Federal agents arrested an Alabama man linked to the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group reported to have ties to Roger Stone, and accused him of storming the U.S. Capitol during January's riot, authorities said Tuesday.

Image: The affidavit includes a photo that purports to show Joshua James with his name on his shirt circled in red. (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia)
Image: The affidavit includes a photo that purports to show Joshua James with his name on his shirt circled in red. (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia)

The man, Joshua A. James, 33, of Arab, Alabama, was charged with obstructing an official proceeding and entering a restricted building, according to a federal complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington.

Federal authorities said in court documents that James owns a cleaning company, America Pro Hydro Services, and was in Washington on Jan. 6 wearing "an Oath Keepers baseball cap" and "a black long-sleeve top with an Oath Keepers patch on the sleeve."

The Oath Keepers are a group that had urged President Donald Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy special forces and militia members to seize election systems and suppress "domestic enemies."

The New York Times and other news organizations reported last month that the Oath Keepers were alleged to have been seen providing security to Stone, the convicted felon and self-described "dirty trickster" who was a longtime adviser to Trump, near the White House on the morning of Jan. 6.

Photos of the pre-riot rally showed James and other Oath Keepers providing security "to a speaker at the 'Stop the Steal' events planned for that day," according to the criminal complaint.

Trump and his supporters have been using the slogan "stop the steal" to promote false conspiracy theories that President Joe Biden did not win November's election.

Image: The affidavit includes an image published by The New York Times that depicts an individual that appears to be Joshua James inside the Capitol building. (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia)
Image: The affidavit includes an image published by The New York Times that depicts an individual that appears to be Joshua James inside the Capitol building. (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia)

"James and other Oath Keepers stormed the Capitol, forcing a halt to the certification of the Electoral College vote," according to the complaint.

James was sporting "military-style attire and gear" with the Oath Keepers logo in pictures that showed him outside and inside the Capitol that day, the complaint said.

James' federal public defender could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday, and no one picked up the line at his business.

His bail hearing is set for Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama.