Capitol riot participant from Alabama reaches a plea deal

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — An Alabama man charged with bringing 11 Molotov cocktails and other weapons to Washington on the day of the U.S. Capitol riot has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, according to a court filing.

The Wednesday filing from federal prosecutors did not provide details of the agreement with Lonnie Coffman of Falkville, Alabama. Coffman, 71, was charged with multiple firearms charges, including possession of unregistered firearms and possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 29. Manuel J. Retureta, an attorney for Coffman, declined to comment on the plea agreement.

Coffman is one of hundreds of people arrested after rioters supporting then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and disrupted the certification of President Joe Biden’s election win.

Police that day found Coffman’s truck in Washington packed with 11 mason jars containing a flammable liquid; several loaded guns; a crossbow with bolts; several machetes; camouflage smoke devices and a stun gun, according to prosecutors.

Law enforcement officers discovered the weapons in his truck during a sweep of the area after pipe bombs were found near two buildings. Prosecutors said Coffman left his truck on the morning of the riot and was arrested when he returned to the vehicle in the evening.

A judge in May denied Coffman bond citing his participation in a militia training camp and large stockpile of weapons. According to earlier court filings, the FBI in 2014 identified Coffman as a participant at Camp Lonestar, a reported gathering place for Texas militia groups, and said he had information about two other militia groups.

Coffman is an Army veteran who served two tours during the Vietnam War. According to family members, he dealt with depression and “often spoke about the difficulty he had dealing with the experiences from the war,” the court document said. A family member said Coffman “became a hermit after he separated from his wife,” according to the court document.