Muncie Marine charged in Capitol riot ordered to remain in California
MUNCIE, Ind. — A Marine from Muncie has been ordered to remain in California as he awaits court proceedings stemming from the riot — on Jan. 6, 2021 — at the U.S. Capitol.
Micah Coomer, 22, was one of three active-duty Marines charged Jan. 17 with participating in the uprising at the Capitol more than two years earlier.
The counts, filed in U.S. District Court in the nation's capital, are misdemeanors — knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
According to a "statement of facts" written by a special agent with the FBI, Coomer and his fellow Marines — Joshua Abate from Virginia and Dodge Dale Hellonen of Michigan — were determined to have entered the Capitol during the riot in part through photos Coomer posted on Instagram.
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The Marines are alleged to have been in the building for 52 minutes, at one point placing a "Make American Great Again" hat on a statue and taking photos.
Coomer — an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems engineer — is assigned to Camp Pendleton in southern California. He was arrested Jan. 18 in nearby Oceanside, California.
He was later released on his own recognizance after a federal court hearing in California.
According to a "pre-trial release order," the Muncie Marine was ordered to remain in San Diego County, California, and to not enter nearby Mexico. The order noted Coomer at some point will be required to travel to the District of Columbia for related court hearings.
The release order also indicated Coomer "may possess firearms as authorized by (his) commanding officer for purposes of USMC duties."
Court records reflect no hearings have yet been scheduled in the case filed in the District of Columbia.
A San Diego attorney was appointed to serve as Coomer's public defender, and the Marine signed a document asserting his "rights to remain silent to have counsel present at any and all of my interactions with the government."
He enlisted in the Marines in September 2018, a few months after graduating from Delta High School.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie Marine charged in Capitol riot directed to stay in California
