May 14, 2021 (UPI) — An active duty member of the U.S. Marine Corps was arrested Thursday on charges related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Maj. Christopher Warnagiris, 40, was charged with federal offenses including assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, and obstruction of justice, for his alleged role joining supporters of then-President Donald Trump as they stormed the Capitol while Congress worked to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, the Justice Department said.
Warnagiris entered the Capitol after pushing through a line of police officers guarding the doors to the East Rotunda and used his body to wedge a door open and pull others inside, according to court documents and security camera footage.
Video footage also shows Warnagiris pushing a U.S. Capitol Police officer who attempted to pull the doors shut.
The charges against Warnagiris carry a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
Warnagiris has served 18 years in the Marines, including two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently assigned to the training and education command of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Staff Training Program at the Marine base in Quantico, Va.
In a statement to CNBC confirming his active duty status, the Marine Corps said “there is no place for racial hatred or extremism” within the military branch.
“Participation with hate or extremist groups of any kind is directly contradictory to the core values of honor, courage, and commitment that we stand for as Marines and isn’t tolerated by the Marine Corps,” the statement said.
