by A Texas man facing charges in the Jan. 6 riots opened fire last week at sheriff’s deputies who had come to his home to check on him before he was scheduled to be handed over to the FBI, according to new criminal complaint.
Nathan Donald Pelham of Greenville, who initially faced four misdemeanor charges related to the insurrection, now faces an additional felony. charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm following the April 12 incident, a criminal complaint filed this week shows.
An FBI special agent wrote in a presentation that he had called Pelham on April 12 and asked him to surrender in a few days. That night, according to the agent, local authorities went to the Pelham house after his father applied for a welfare check.
When officers arrived, Pelham fired multiple shots at them, prosecutors said.
One of the law enforcement officers said a shot “came so close to me that I could hear the distinctive hiss as the bullet passed me and then struck a metal object on my right side,” according to a court filing.
The new gun possession charge against Pelham will likely give federal authorities a quick way to keep him locked up before his trial. He could face other charges related to the shooting in the future.
Court records show Pelham waived a detention hearing and a federal judge tidy the detainee.
The initial charges against Pelham included disorderly conduct and parades, demonstrations or pickets at the Capitol. He appeared in at least one photo of the riot wearing a hat with a logo associated with the Proud Boys, the FBI said.
Many of the January 6 defendants who pleaded guilty to the same misdemeanor charges against Pelham have been sentenced only to terms of probation.
Pelham’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Two months after the riot at the Capitol, Pelham attempted to leave the United States and enter Canada, but was denied entry by Canadian authorities and was later detained by US Customs and Border Patrol agents in Port Huron, Michigan, the FBI said.
During an interview with two FBI task force officers, Pelham admitted to appearing at the Capitol on January 6 and walking up the steps on the Senate chamber side of the building. Pelham said he never touched or broke a barricade, and said he was never told he was entering a restricted area, according to court documents.
Pelham previously claimed he did not enter the Capitol and said he would be willing to take a polygraph to prove he was not lying, according to court documents.
After obtaining a search warrant, authorities said they found text messages on Pelham’s phone that suggested he entered the Capitol, according to court documents.
“If you have video of being inside, don’t post it,” his wife allegedly wrote a day after the riot. “I know I’m smart, honey,” Pelham responded, according to court documents.
Pelham later said he was only inside for 10 or 11 seconds, but footage showed he was inside for more than 7 minutes, the FBI said.
More than 1,000 defendants have been charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and hundreds of more arrests are expected.
