PHOENIX — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
A Phoenix man accused of coordinating teams on standby to deliver guns to the far-right Oath Keepers militia group during the Jan. 6, 2021Capitol riot will remain jailed until his trial on seditious conspiracy and other charges.
Edward Vallejo, 63, appeared before a judge Thursday morning.
The judge concluded Vallejo posed a danger to society because evidence suggests he “attacked the very fabric of democracy."
An attorney representing Vallejo said the military veteran played a minor role in the alleged insurrection and did not physically go to the Capitol that day.
Vallejo was allegedly stationed just across the Potomac River from the Capitol during the insurrection with weapons and was “prepared to assist his co-conspirators at his commander’s orders,” according to investigators.
He’s accused of participating in a multi-month conspiracy and coordinating three military-style “Quick Reaction Forces aimed at stopping the transfer of power” during the election certification process.
The effort was allegedly led by Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes of Texas, who also faces seditious conspiracy charges.
Rhodes allegedly sent encrypted messages to Vallejo and other Oath Keepers notifying them they “MUST refuse to accept Biden as a legitimate winner” and warned, “We aren’t getting through this without a civil war.” He called for a “massively bloody revolution,” according to court records.
Prosecutors told the judge Vallejo traveled to Washington D.C. last January, prepared for a guerilla war against the United States.
Court records contain a still image from surveillance video that allegedly shows Vallejo and another unnamed man from Arizona on Jan. 5, 2021, transporting “bins filled with weapons, ammo, and supplies meant to last for thirty days” into a D.C. area hotel.
The Oath Keepers group even circulated an eight-step plan to overthrow the government, according to court records. But one step relied on police to “join with the protestors after initial violence.”
Of course, that never happened. Police stood up against the rioters and regained control of the Capitol.
Vallejo’s attorney described him as a military veteran, married for 38 years, who struggled with PTSD.
His attorney said Vallejo should not be kept in detention while awaiting trial because he is susceptible to asthma and vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.