Already convicted for his part in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Naples resident Christopher Worrell made things a little more interesting than the numerous others who have been convicted by going missing and eluding authorities for weeks.
Until last night (Sept. 28).
Worrell was arrested at his home by the FBI, a Collier County Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed Thursday night.
Worrell, a member of the Proud Boys extremist group, went missing in August just as he was about to face sentencing for multiple crimes he committed during the riot. He was found guilty in May. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence that includes 14 years in prison, fines and other conditions.
Christopher Worrell: 10 photos that help tell story of convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionist
Authorities unsealed an arrest warrant for Christopher Worrell, of East Naples, late Thursday. Worrell, 52, was convicted of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection with his sentencing scheduled for Friday, which was canceled earlier in the week. A federal judge signed off on a warrant for his arrest, made public Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023.
Worrell is 52. He was charged for his role in the United States Capitol Riots on Jan. 6, 2021.
Christopher Worrell of East Naples at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a photo included in an FBI statement of facts a federal magistrate signed March 10, 2021.
Worrell has self-identified as a member of the “Hurricane Coast Zone 5” chapter the Proud Boys.
Photos show Christopher Worrell of East Naples, red circles, at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The photos were included in an FBI statement of facts complaint a federal magistrate signed March 10, 2021. (Photos courtesy of the FBI)
The Proud Boys is a neofascist white nationalist extremist organization established in 2016. The group’s members were noted for their misogynistic and anti-Semitic rhetoric, QAnon-related beliefs, their support for former president Donald Trump, and their propensity for street violence.
An FBI complaint revealed these photos that "depicts certain things that also appear in the photograph" of Christopher Worrell pepper-spraying, "someone hand holding up what appears to be a black cellphone over WORRELL’s right shoulder; and a tall individual with a black helmet, reflective sunglasses, and a black and gray neck gaiter next to or behind WORRELL," the complaint reads. "I have cropped and reproduced the relevant portions of those photographs below, with the identifying features I just noted circled in green," the FBI agent stated in the complaint, signed March 10, 2021, by a federal magistrate.
On Jan. 6 of 2021, a pro-Trump mob sought to keep former president Donald Trump in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the presidential victory of President-elect Joe Biden.
Closeup photos show Christopher Worrell of East Naples with a canister clipped to the front right side of his tactical vest. "As the following photographs show, the appearance of that canister appears to match that of a common brand of pepper spray gel," an FBI statement of facts complaint read. "The spray nozzle location, black side clip, coloring (black with white and red lettering), style of lettering, and size and location of the white and red text all appear to match. In addition, as noted below, WORRELL is later seen spraying a substance from a canister. Given all of that, I believe this canister contained pepper spray gel." A federal magistrate signed the FBI court document on March 10, 2021.
Worrell joined protestors and fellow Proud Boys at the scene of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. He was dressed in a tactical vest and carrying two canisters of pepper gel.
Christopher Worrell of East Naples, in yellow shirt, is shown with what appears to be other members of the Proud Boys. Photos show Worrell wearing what appears to be a Proud Boys patch on his tactical vest. The photos were included in an FBI statement of facts complaint a federal magistrate signed March 10, 2021. Worrell was arrested March 12, 2021, in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Worrell assaulted a line of law enforcement officers with pepper spray gel outside the U.S. Capitol building during the riot, according to his prosecution.
A clip from a video played Thursday night at a hearing of the House Select Committee investigating the events of Jan. 6 included a clip showing East Naples resident Christopher Worrell as part of a group of Proud Boys members at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that more than 950 people have been charged for their roles in the two years since the violent mob forced its way into the U.S. Capitol, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation continuing to seek hundreds more.
Christopher Worrell addressing Collier County commissioners at their April 26 meeting, calling himself a "political prisoner."
Since the insurrection, the Justice Department has arrested more than 775 individuals in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the events of that day.
Christopher Worrell, right, of East Naples, is shown during a video interview with the Turkish public broadcasting company, TRT world. The FBI revealed the information in a complaint signed March 10, 2021, by a federal magistrate. The court document also notes that Worrell was wearing a shirt with "the Fred Perry yellow and black laurel wreath insignia that is now commonly worn by members of the Proud Boys." The video was recorded at the Mercato in Naples and uploaded to YouTube on Jan. 7, 2021, the day after the Capitol riot, the complaint said.
The Department of Justice has asked U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth to sentence Worrell to 14 years years in prison; three years of supervised release; $2,000 in restitution; a fine of up to $181,000; and $610 in mandatory special assessments, which are imposed on defendants convicted of federal crimes.
A week after a federal judge issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a Collier County man convicted for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol, they continue to seek answers. The Tampa-based U.S. Attorney's Office on Tuesday shared a social media statement from the FBI's Tampa office saying they are still searching for Christopher Worrell, 52, of East Naples.
Worrell was initially arrested after FBI agents executed a search and arrest warrant at his Naples home on March 12 of 2021. FBI officials had received a tip about Worrell's involvement in the riots and raided his home in the 200 block of Stanhope Circle.
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