Anthony Williams, accused of storming the U.S. Capitol a year ago, asked a federal judge on the anniversary of the attack, to permit him to travel on vacation to Jamaica, The Washington Post reported.
In his request to travel, Williams asked on Thursday to be able to go to Jamaica from Jan. 31-Feb. 10 in order to meet the family of his girlfriend.
But Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell quickly denied the request by Williams, who is unable to travel outside the U.S. without court approval.
"This court will not commemorate the one-year anniversary of this attack on the Capitol by granting defendant’s request for nonessential foreign travel when he is awaiting judgment for his actions on that day," Howell wrote.
Williams, who lives in Michigan, has been indicted on five charges, including violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and has pleaded not guilty.
The Post noted that an FBI agent said in a sworn affidavit that in a video shot while inside the building, Williams talked about how he and others "stormed" the Capitol.
The Post also pointed out that Williams has been on pretrial release since March 2021, when he made his first court appearance, the request states. Williams, his lawyer added, "has appeared consistently" at court hearings in connection to his case.
"Respectfully, his demonstrated compliance with conditions in this case is compelling evidence that he will continue to comply with conditions if this request is granted," attorney Benton Martin said in the court motion.
More than 725 people pave been arrested as a result of the violent protest at the Capitol, NPR reported. About 165 have pleaded guilty — 145 of them to misdemeanors.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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