A member of the militia group Oath Keepers who appeared to serve as a bodyguard to political operative Roger Stone has been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Roberto Minuta, 36, who runs a tattoo parlor in Newburgh, NY, appeared in federal court in White Plains on Monday. Prosecutors say he “forcibly stormed the U.S. Capitol equipped with military-style gear” with the goal of disrupting Congress’ certification of the results of the 2020 election.
Videos by VICE
Minuta has also been identified among members of the far-right Oath Keepers standing with Stone outside his hotel the morning of January 6 by CNN and other outlets. Hours later, he was seen wearing tactical gear, berating Capitol police as he pushed his way through the crowd and stormed the Capitol, prosecutors say.
Minuta’s arrest, which was first reported by NBC, comes amid growing scrutiny around the actions of the Oath Keepers during the siege of the Capitol. At least 10 people associated with the group (excluding Minuta) have since been arrested—and nine are facing serious conspiracy charges. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice and the FBI are also reportedly to be looking closely at Stone, a former adviser and longtime close ally of former President Donald Trump, and his possible ties to rioters, according to the Washington Post. Stone has repeatedly insisted he knew nothing about plans to storm the Capitol.
Officials haven’t yet released charging documents or confirmed details of Minuta’s arrest.
Minuta also has ties to other Trump associates or “Stop the Steal” figures. At the “Million MAGA March” in D.C. in November, Minuta escorted Alex Jones to an event. At a similar pro-Trump event in D.C. a month later, Minuta escorted former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to an event.
He’s also been spotted rubbing shoulders with members of the Proud Boys, who also appear to have played an outsize role in the Capitol riot. Minuta marched with Proud Boys during the December 12 rally in D.C., and was photographed with Proud Boy Dominic Pezzola (aka “Spazzo” or “Spazzolini”) who allegedly smashed a Capitol window with a police riot shield. Proud Boy “Chairman” Enrique Tarrio posted the picture to his Parler account, with the caption “Lords of War, #J6, #J20.”
Minuta replied “bad ass… thanks for the picture. Honored to stand with you guys. See you Jan 6.” Minuta’s father also chimed in. “THAT IS MY SON ROB STANDING FOR WHAT’S RIGHT,” he wrote. “SPAZZOLINI IS THE MARINE IN FRONT.”
VICE News also identified Minuta in several livestreams from December 11, which showed him standing outside the Harrington Hotel, a favorite Proud Boy haunt, with other Proud Boys. He was also seen marching with them that night.
While many Oath Keepers choose to keep their name and involvement with the group a secret, Minuta has not shied away from publicizing his affiliation. Last May, Minuta reopened his tattoo parlor in defiance of New York state regulations due to COVID-19. About 100 protesters, including Oath Keepers, came to Newburgh to rally in his defense. Among them was Oath Keeper founder and leader Stewart Rhodes, who traveled all the way from Texas to be there, according to the Times Herald-Record.
Minuta is the only member of Stone’s security detail from January 6 who has been publicly identified. The other Oath Keepers who were present had their faces covered.
