Tattoo parlor owner seen with Roger Stone on Jan. 6 charged in Capitol riot

Roberto Minuta, the 36-year-old owner of a tattoo parlor in Newburgh, New York, was arrested Saturday and charged with criminal involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Minuta is accused of obstructing the formal counting of presidential election votes, trespassing, and attempting to cover up his crimes. On Monday, over the objections of prosecutors, Minuta was ordered released on a $125,000 bond, and told to surrender his 10 registered firearms, The Washington Post reports.

Prosecutors say Minuta, who recently moved to Texas, is linked to the right-wing Oath Keepers militia, and was seen with Republican operative Roger Stone on the morning of the riot; Stone told a Tennessee newspaper last month that he needed to hire private security while in Washington, and did not personally know the men protecting him.

Prosecutors have said members of the Oath Keepers conspired to storm the Capitol in order to keep Congress from certifying the results of the election. Minuta was seen at the Capitol wearing military gear, including tactical gloves and ballistic goggles, and was carrying a firearm and either bear or pepper spray, according to prosecutors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Gianforti told the court on Monday that after Minuta was arrested, he made statements that "represent a lack of remorse and an ongoing allegiance to the ideology" behind the assault on the Capitol. He also said Minuta "aggressively taunted and berated law enforcement officers guarding the Capitol" and it is "not a stretch to think Mr. Minuta, if called upon to do so, would participate in an armed rebellion yet again even on pretrial release."

More stories from theweek.com
The Harry and Meghan interview might have taken down more than the royal family
Beth Moore, popular Bible writer and evangelist, is 'no longer a Southern Baptist'
Honduran president urged drug trafficker to 'shove' cocaine 'right up the noses of the gringos,' U.S. alleges