300 charged from 40 states connected to January 6th

America watched as hordes of rioters broke into the U. S. Capitol on January 6 — crushing through windows, pressing up stairways, and sending lawmakers and law enforcement running for their lives. The flood of protesters who streamed into the Capitol that day left federal authorities with an equally immense task: finding and charging those responsible.

Federal prosecutors have now charged more than 300 people and arrested more than 280 in connection with the events of January 6, Acting Deputy Attorney General John Carlin said last week. A Justice Department official said last week that the department had opened files on approximately 540 subjects.

"The investigation into those responsible is moving at a speed and scale that's unprecedented, and rightly so. Those responsible must be held to account, and they will be," Carlin said.

As law enforcement continues to round up alleged attackers, here's what CBS News has learned about the people who were arrested:

Over 300 defendants have been charged in federal court. CBS News has reviewed charging documents for 273 defendants whose cases were unsealed, and of those, at least 92 were also indicted by grand juries.

The alleged rioters come from at least 42 states outside of Washington, D. C. Among those arrested whose home states were known, the most were from Texas, with 26 Texans charged so far. New York had 22 residents arrested while Pennsylvania had 21 and Florida had 20.

At least 33 of those arrested are current or former military members. Of those, three are currently enlisted in the military — two in the Army Reserve and one in the National Guard — according to military service records and court documents obtained by CBS News.

Of the former military members, at least 14 have served in the U. S. Marines, 10 served in the Army, two served in the Navy and two served in the Air Force.

The Army Reserve shared the following statement with CBS News: "The U. S. Army Reserve takes all allegations of Soldier or Army civilian involvement in extremist groups seriously and will address this issue in accordance with Army regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice to ensure due process. Extremist ideologies and activities directly oppose our values and beliefs and those who subscribe to extremism have no place in our ranks."

At least five of those arrested were employed as law enforcement officers at the time of the riot, and at least three of those arrested had previously worked as police officers. Prosecutors also charged one current firefighter and one retired firefighter.

Of the five police officers, four have since lost their jobs. An officer in North Cornwall Township, Pennsylvania was suspended without pay after he was charged with, among other crimes, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. Houston police officer Tam Dinh Pham and Monmouth County correctional police officer Marissa Suarez both resigned after they were arrested, and two Virginia police officers were fired after prosecutors charged them for their alleged conduct at the Capitol.

Laura Steele, a member of the Oath Keepers militia indicted for conspiracy, worked for the High Point Police Department in North Carolina for 12 years before she was terminated for conduct toward superior personnel, absence from duty, and violating a communications policy, a spokesperson for High Point Police said. Her husband, Kenneth Steele — who was not alleged to be at the Capitol riot — retired on January 1 as assistant police ... (Read more)

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