Alleged member of Patriot Boys militia group pleads guilty to assaulting an officer on January 6

Washington – An alleged member of the Patriot Boys militia group, Lucas Denney, has pleaded guilty to assault and assaulting law enforcement officers with a long stick and a large pipe on January 6, 2021, after that prosecutors acknowledge that they had made an “unintentional procedural error in forgetting to formally accuse him as required by law.”

In December 2021, Denney, 41, of Texas, was charged with multiple offenses in a criminal complaint, an indictment that does not require the consent of a grand jury. He was arrested and detained and has been in jail since December.

Following the filing of a criminal complaint, a grand jury has 40 days to file a formal indictment. Prosecutors in Denney’s case did not charge him until March 7, 2021, months after he was charged. He was charged with one count of assault or assault with a dangerous or deadly weapon.

His defense team filed an urgent motion to release him from prison because prosecutors had not charged him within the legal timeframe; prosecutors admitted they were wrong.

Denney chose to take advantage of the Justice Department’s procedural error and pleaded guilty to the charge of a single charge.

He admitted that he had made his way through the large crowd gathered on the west front of the Capitol towards an officer and had grabbed a “long stick” to make it turn, according to court documents. He and another mutineer also threw a “big tube” at police officers guarding the Capitol.

Denney could still face future charges for other crimes he may have committed on Jan. 6. His legal team has concluded that this is unlikely, however, due to the double-hazard laws. There is no formal declaration agreement.

“We examined this issue,” defense attorney William Shipley told the judge, and told him that Denney’s legal team had concluded that the chances of future charges were reduced due to the double-hazard laws.

As for the single offense, Denney faces a maximum legal sentence of 20 years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine, but Judge Randolph Moss is likely to impose a less severe sentence.

The sentence will be on June 9.