East Liverpool man charged in Capitol riot asks for plea deal
One of several Mahoning Valley residents charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is considering a plea deal, court records show.
Kenneth Joseph Owen Thomas of East Liverpool is accused of striking officers with his arms and fists during the riot and faces 10 felony and misdemeanor charges including: assaulting, resisting or impeding officers; acts of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings; and obstruction of an official proceeding.
Thomas is being represented by Washington, D.C., attorney Joseph Roll Conte, who recently requested a plea offer for Thomas from federal prosecutors, according to a Jan. 20 court filing. The government planned to make a plea offer in the next 10 days, according to the filing.
Thomas was due for a hearing today before D.C. federal court Judge Dabney Friedrich, but that hearing was continued to give prosecutors and defense attorneys more time to prepare or review evidentiary files.
In video footage taken from body cameras worn by Metropolitan Police Department officers, Thomas can be seen “advancing toward a line of law enforcement … pushing against their shields” and punching and striking them multiple times just before 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a May news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.
Prosecutors allege Thomas “turned toward rioters and ordered them to ‘hold the line’ against advancing officers.” Police officers later identified Thomas as “one of the first” to start attacking officers who were holding back a mob that sought to disrupt the electoral certification that would officially name Joe Biden as the 46th U.S. president.
In a video Thomas reportedly posted to his YouTube channel, he said the group of people he was with were “going to storm the Capitol.” Thomas wore a camouflage “Veteran for Trump” hat and identified himself during a local newscast segment as “Pi Annon,” the organizer of a 60-vehicle “MAGA Caravan” that convened in Ashland, Virginia, before heading to the Capitol.
According to Thomas’ criminal complaint, one of his neighbors identified him in a photo circulated by federal investigators, and confirmed that Thomas’ social media posts were similar to the footage and other media investigators had obtained. The Twitter group #SeditionHunters also identified Thomas and provided investigators with his other social media accounts, also named “Pi Anon.”
Thomas was arrested May 26 in Birmingham, Alabama, according to reports. He was 38 at the time. He was indicted Sept. 1 and pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Thomas’ case is due for another status update on March 25. He remains free on a personal recognizance bond.
Nationwide, more than 725 people have been arrested for their alleged roles in the riot, NPR reported earlier this month; 165 people have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors; and 70 people have been sentenced, including 30 who got prison time.
At least five other Mahoning Valley residents have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 riot in the U.S. Capitol, according to justice department records. Three of them have been indicted on felony counts, one of whom has pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing in March. Two others have been charged with misdemeanors.
Here is where their cases stand.
