A 41-year-old woman from Pennsylvania was found guilty of federal crimes for her role in leading rioters on January 6. The government provided proof that Powell was present at the Capitol on that day and could be heard over a bullhorn giving directions to visitors.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, Rachel Marie Powell was convicted of eight crimes and one misdemeanor for her role in the assaults on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth tried the case as a bench trial, devoid of a jury. The judge scheduled a sentencing hearing for October 17.
She was accused of several serious offenses, including violent conduct on Capitol grounds, possessing a weapon, accessing a restricted location, and damaging government property.
The U.S. Attorney’s office claims that the video shows Powell answering inquiries like “What’s the floor plan?” regarding the building’s layout. Officials said that new footage showed Powell talking about breaking another window and planning the takeover of the facility.
Videos and photographs have been submitted as evidence in court. The office claims she and the rioting mob came through the West Terrace external entrance at 2:41 p.m.
Powell was arrested in February 2021, not long after acknowledging using the bullhorn to lead people at the Capitol.
Powell was born in Anaheim, Orange County, California, but she was reared by her mother, Deborah Lemons, who worked at a neighborhood business in Fresno, California. Her stepfather was a plumber. According to her bio, Powell and her stepfather were carjacked when she was a little girl.
Powell claims she has studied alternative medicine and is certified as a group exercise teacher.
In the wake of the attacks on the United States Capitol on January 6, over 1,069 people have been detained in nearly all 50 states. Over three hundred fifty people were arrested and charged with assaulting or obstructing law police throughout the ongoing investigation.
