Nov. 13 (UPI) — An Alabama man pleaded guilty Friday to bringing several Molotov cocktails and an unlicensed gun to the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riots.
Lonnie Leroy Coffman, 71, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device) and carrying a pistol without a license. The Washington Post reported the Vietnam veteran was the most heavily armed person charged in the Jan. 6 attack.
Appearing in court Friday, Coffman initially disagreed that the 12 Molotov cocktails found in his truck were a threat, CNN reported. He said he made the devices years ago and the gasoline in them was not capable of catching fire.
District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said she wouldn’t accept Coffman’s guilty plea if he didn’t acknowledge that the devices were able to function as Molotov cocktails.
“If you’re not agreeing to it, I’m not accepting it,” she said.
Coffman ultimately agreed that the mason jars could have been used as incendiary devices.
Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 1.
Coffman was the first person indicted in association with the insurrection of former President Donald Trump supporters seeking to disrupt Congress’ certification of the 2020 presidential election.
In addition to the Molotov cocktails, authorities found a rifle, shotgun, two 9mm pistols and a .22-caliber pistol in his vehicle. All the guns, two of which he carried during the riots, were loaded.
As part of the plea deal, the court agreed to drop 17 other charges Coffman faced.
