MORROW, Ohio (WDTN) – A Warren County couple now faces federal charges for what prosecutor say was their participation in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Court documents show Sandra Parker, 60, and Bennie Parker, 70, of Morrow, Ohio, “conspired together, with others known and unknown, to obstruct the United States Congress’s affirmation of the Electoral College vote regarding the results of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, and that they committed other related federal crimes in furtherance of that purpose,” according to an affidavit filed Thursday.
The documents allege the couple marched alongside another group known as The Oath Keepers. The Department of Justice has characterized the Oath Keepers as a “paramilitary organization focused on recruitment of current and former military, law enforcement, and first responder personnel.”
The Parkers face several federal charges, including:
- Conspiracy
- destruction of government property and aiding and abetting
- obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting
- entering a restricting building or grounds
Federal investigators said Sandra and Bennie Parker were among a group of Oath Keepers who infiltrated the Capitol.
WLWT, our news partner in Cincinnati reported widely-shared video shows a “stack,” or tactical formation, of individuals dressed in matching uniforms and combat attire on the Capitol grounds Jan. 6. That group included confirmed Oath Keeper members who, “forcibly entered the Capitol then congregated inside the north section of the Rotunda, as seen in surveillance video from inside the Capitol,” the affidavit states.
According to investigators that group included Jessica Watkins, 38, and Donovan Crowl, 50, both of Champaign County. They were arrested in January in connection to the insurrection.
