Jan. 6 Capitol attack: Notable Southern Californians facing charges

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Friday, January 7, 2022
Capitol attack: Notable Southern Californians facing charges
A former Olympic gold medalist and a DEA agent are among the Southern Californians who have been charged in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol last year.

WASHINGTON (KABC) -- More than 700 people from across the country have been arrested and charged one year after supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Charges from the Jan. 6 riot ranged from curfew violations to serious federal felonies related to theft and weapons possession. Investigators continue to identify and prosecute those involved, including dozens from California.

"California was the fifth most common place that people came from of all these 700 defendants," said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.

Who are they? Some are quite prominent.

Alan Hostetter is a retired La Habra police chief who is charged with conspiracy.

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Retired La Habra Police Chief Alan Hostetter was indicted along with five other Southern California men in connection with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Klete Keller, a former Olympic gold medalist and USC swimmer, pleaded guilty and faces two years in prison.

And there is Mark Ibrahim, a DEA agent from Orange County, who is accused of bringing his agency-issued firearm and badge to the Capitol grounds.

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"We are at one of our most significant times of polarization that we've seen in decades," Levin said.

The insurrection by pro-Trump supporters and members of far-right groups shattered the sense of security that many had long felt at the Capitol as rioters forcibly delayed the certification of Joe Biden's election victory. Many saw the insurrection as a display of white supremacist violence.

The Southern Poverty Law Center identified 72 hate groups in California, including several white supremacist groups in Southern California. Rachel Carroll Rivas of SPCL says all the national attention on these groups has changed their focus.

"It has made folks re-adjust to the local level and really put pretty intense and extreme pressure on local folks, and that includes our local school boards, our city commissions, our health boards," Carroll Rivas said.

Levin says the data shows increased activity by these groups during election years. He fears during this midterm election year there could also be some problems.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.