The FBI has arrested a former Ohio National Guard member who was accused of going AWOL after Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential election. He was charged with assaulting officers at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021, riot.
Matthew Honigford, 31, of Delphos, Ohio, was arrested and now faces three felony counts and several misdemeanor charges after video evidence revealed the assaults which included berating and physically assaulting officers at the Washington D.C. Capitol. Taylor James Johnatakis, who was also at the Capitol on the same day, was convicted of multiple charges.
According to an FBI affidavit, Honigford went AWOL from the National Guard after the 2020 election due to his distrust of Biden’s presidency. Investigators testified that Honigford continued training until the end of his service term in 2022. Video footage also showed him making sexual comments about Nancy Pelosi and threatening officers at the Capitol.
In the video, Honigford claimed to want to pray for the officers before launching an attack on the police line. The FBI affidavit detailed his physical involvement in pushing barriers and inciting rioters during the events at the Capitol. He even made misleading remarks about the size of the crowd present at the time.
Another National Guardsman, Gregory Yetman, was also under FBI investigation but surrendered after being on the run for 48 hours. More than 1,200 individuals have been prosecuted and over 400 have been imprisoned in connection with the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Original article published on NBCNews.com
