Source: United States Department of Justice News
Defendants Were Allegedly Affiliated With a Militia Group, Were Among Rioters on Lower West Terrace
WASHINGTON — Five Florida men, all self-identified militia members, were arrested today
on charges stemming from their actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their
actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain
and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Four of the defendants — Benjamin Cole, 38, of Leesburg, John Edward Crowley, 50, of
Windermere, Brian Preller, 33, of Mount Dora, and Jonathan Rockholt, 38, of Palm Coast, Florida –
are charged with the felony offense of interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil
disorder. Along with a fifth defendant — Tyler Bensch, 20, of Casselberry – they also are charged
with the misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and
disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
Crowley, Rockholt, and Bensch were arrested in Florida and are making their initial court
appearances today in the Middle District of Florida. Cole, who was arrested in Louisville, is making
his initial court appearance in the Western District of Kentucky. Preller, who was arrested in
Rutledge, Vermont, is making his appearance in the District of Vermont.
According to court documents, the five men self-identified as members of the “B Squad,” a
subgroup of a militia-style, Florida based organization known as the “Guardians of Freedom,” which
adheres to the ideology of the “Three Percenters.” They traveled to Washington, D.C., with others in
the “B Squad” and stayed at a hotel on Jan. 5, 2021. On Jan. 6, the five defendants were among those
illegally gathered on the Capitol grounds. Cole wore a tactical vest. Preller wore a tactical vest with a
chemical irritant spray attached to the front, as well as large goggles and a green helmet with the
word “monster” on the back. He also carried a long black walking stick and wore a shirt that read
“waterboarding instructor.” Rockholt wore a tactical vest and carried what appeared to be a knife in
his front right pocket; he also wore a baseball helmet. Bensch wore a tactical vest, as well as a
military-style helmet with goggles and a black gas mask. He also carried a chemical irritant in front
of the vest.
Cole, Crowley, Preller and Rockholt were in a group that engaged in a confrontation with law
enforcement officers in the tunnel area of the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace. Bensch remained just
outside. While inside the tunnel, Cole, Preller, Crowley and Rockholt confronted and assisted the
crowd in confronting the officers that were preventing the tunnel and Capitol from being breached.
They added their force, momentum, bodies, and efforts to the other rioters in a “heave-ho” effort that
put pressure on the police line. As a direct result of the actions of the rioters in the tunnel at that
time, the mob penetrated deeper, pushing the police line back.
Once officers finally were able to repel Cole, Preller, Crowley, Rockholt, and others from the
tunnel, Rockholt picked up a clear riot shield with a Capitol Police seal before leaving the area.
Bensch, meanwhile, used one of his chemical irritants to spray the face of an individual who was an
unknown member of the crowd, even though that person posed no threat to him.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and
the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable
assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Florida, the District
of Vermont, and the Western District of Kentucky.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington, Jacksonville, Tampa, Boston, and
Albany Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the
Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 19 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 860 individuals have been arrested in nearly
all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 260 individuals
charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven
guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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