CINCINNATI - Federal authorities said Tuesday that they’ve charged a leader in a paramilitary group with conspiracy and related counts after he and some of the group's members helped storm the U.S.
Capitol.Thomas Edward Caldwell, 65, of Virginia, was the first person to be charged with conspiracy after last week's riot. His arrest and those of other group members offer some insight into the planning and coordination behind the extraordinary attack, which apparently took law enforcement by surprise despite various warnings online.Caldwell "appears to have a leadership role with" Oath Keepers, a paramilitary group that believes in a "shadowy conspiracy" to strip Americans of their rights, according to FBI investigators.