FBI arrests Proud Boys suspect south of Tri-Cities in deadly U.S. Capitol conspiracy
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These Tri-Cities area men are on trial for their involvement in the Jan. 6 riots
A Franklin County WA man and two Pendleton OR brothers are awaiting trial for their involvement in the 2021 insurrection. The lastest on Taylor Taranto and the Klein brothers.
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Two brothers from Pendleton, Ore., have been arrested for conspiracy and obstruction in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Jonathanpeter A. Klein, 21, and Matthew L. Klein, 24, were taken into custody Tuesday by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The FBI’s Portland office announced the arrests late Wednesday afternoon on its Twitter account.
Jonathanpeter Klein was arrested near Heppner — the rural agricultural-based seat of Morrow County about 80 miles south of Tri-Cities, Wash.
Matthew Klein was arrested in Sherwood, southwest of Portland.
Online records show they both live in Pendleton.
The pair were pictured in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5 wearing Proud Boys gear and American flag neck gaiters covering half their faces.
The photograph was featured on an FBI website asking for the public’s help in identifying people who participated in the Jan. 6 violence, including illegally entering the Capitol building when Congress was in session.
Federal agents then used those identities to pick out the Kleins in videos and pictures captured during the violence Jan. 6 after then-President Donald Trump railed against the election results.
The Klein brothers’ charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia include: conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder, destruction of government property, entering a restricted building, and disorderly conduct.
The FBI said the pair were arrested without incident.
They had initial appearances Tuesday in Oregon before a federal judge. However, since they were indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C., the brothers will be transferred to that district for further court proceedings.
“An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless/until proven guilty,” the Portland FBI said in a tweet.
Anyone in Oregon with information about people who took part in the Capitol violence are asked to call the FBI Portland office at 503-224-4181 or submit their tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI also asks people to “help identify individuals who actively instigated violence” by viewing more photos and videos at www.fbi.gov/wanted/capitol-violence.
This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 7:02 PM.
