KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Another East Tennessee man is facing four charges after federal authorities accused him of participating in a violent riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
According to a criminal complaint, Michael Tyler Roberts faces four charges. It says he is a resident of either Knoxville, Kingston or Paint Rock, and in video stills from the Jan. 6 riot, he is seen wearing a blue bandana around his neck with a red hoodie with the phrase "MAGA" on it. It also says he was wearing a baseball hat before it fell off during a confrontation with police officers.
The complaint also says he spoke with another man, Ronald Colton McAbee, before they both drove from Tennessee to Washington D.C. During text changes on Dec. 31, 2021, Roberts tells McAbee that he was planning to bring brass knuckles to the capitol.
The complaint said McAbee asked Roberts where he could buy a pair of brass knuckles. McAbee was later charged with assaulting a police officer during the Jan. 6 riot. Roberts offered to have brass knuckles quickly shipped to his home for McAbee, according to the complaint, before they both drove up to Washington D.C. on Jan. 5, 2021.
During the riot, the FBI said Roberts tried to move near officers who blocked a tunnel into the building from a "riotous mob." In the complaint, the FBI said he moved on top of other rioters to get closer to the police line before he grappled with officers and grabbed their hands and arms.
The complaint also said before the riot, he was interviewed for a video and said he told his son he was heading to Washington D.C. before leaving. Before leaving, he said he told his son he "may not come home."
"Man, this isn’t just a fight for Donald Trump. This is a fight of good versus evil, right versus wrong. I love my country. I had to tell my son before I left home ‘Listen, son, I’m doing this for you. Daddy may not come home.’ But that’s okay. I’ll stand in the gap so he doesn’t have to. So your kids don’t have to. I’ll take whatever comes," he said in the interview.
The complaint said FBI investigators spoke with Roberts' coworkers in July 2021, who identified him in photos from the riot.
Roberts faces four charges from the Jan. 6 riot. They are listed below.
- Obstruction of Law Enforcement Dming Civil Disorder, 18 U.S.C. § l 752(a)(l)
- Entering or Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds, 18 U.S.C. § l 752(a)(2)
- Disorderly or Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds, 40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(D)
- Disorderly or Disruptive Conduct on a Capitol Building
According to federal authorities, more than 1,100 people have been charged in almost all 50 states for crimes related to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, including more than 400 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.