The Department of Justice announced Friday that more than 300 people in 29 states and Washington, D.C., have been charged for crimes committed “adjacent to or under the guise of peaceful demonstrations since the end of May.”

“What media is not reporting, is that federal law enforcement agencies haven’t been sitting on the sidelines during these riots,” said a Washington D.C. reconnaissance insider. “They’re gathering intelligence.”

“It’s paying off,” he said. “Local and regional officers make arrests and protect others, if permitted. But the Feds are doing real police work. They want the guys at the top. You get them with evidence.”

The Department of Homeland Security deployed helicopters, airplanes and drones over 15 cities where demonstrators have been violent, looting, and destroying.

“These paid punks may think they’re getting by with this covering their faces and getting out on bail. They’re not,” he continued. “The sophistication and technology is enormous. Drones combined with aerial cameras offer a strong combination for facial recognition that is applied to large areas during these mass events.”

“Notice the amount of body-worn cameras being used by police. It’s also worn by law enforcement agents, including those undercover. There’s more cameras out there full of evidence. And the amount of intelligence coming out of social media monitoring is outrageous.”

“This helps make strong cases that equates to long prison terms. Prosecutors and attorney general offices are helped with solid evidence. When some of these arrested realize what they face, they’ll provide information. It’s like going after a gang. They want the field members, but it’s the bosses, the warlords, the gang kingpins they’re after. Who is financing this?”

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Over 40 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs), have filed federal charges alleging crimes ranging from attempted murder, assaulting a law enforcement officer, arson, burglary of a federally-licensed firearms dealer, damaging federal property, malicious destruction of property using fire or explosives, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, unlawful possession of a destructive device, inciting a riot, felony civil disorder, and others.  Violent opportunists have exploited these demonstrations in various ways. 

Approximately 80 suspects have been charged with offenses relating to arson and explosives. 

Approximately 15 individuals have been charged with damaging federal property. Some are alleged to have set fires to local businesses as well as city and federal property.

These crimes caused millions of taxpayer dollars to repair damages to the Portland Courthouse, Nashville Courthouse, Minneapolis Police Third Precinct, Seattle Police East Precinct, and local high school in Minnesota; and, to replace police cruisers in South Carolina, Washington, Rhode Island, Georgia, Utah, and other states.

Corporate and local businesses were also targeted, including a Target Corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, Boost Mobile Store in Milwaukee, and a Champ Sports Store in Tampa.

Local restaurants damaged or destroyed include a pizza parlor in Los Angeles and a sushi bar in Santa Monica. 

In Washington, D.C., outside of the U.S. Supreme Court, a man was engulfed in flames after he poured a liquid from a gas can onto three U.S. Supreme Court Police vehicles; he suffered severe burns. In Virginia Beach, authorities identified a man who is alleged to have threatened to burn down an African American church.  

About 35 others have been charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer and related offenses. 

One of these cases was charged in Massachusetts; the rest of these individuals were charged in Oregon. 

The assaults have targeted local and federal law enforcement officers.  In Portland, a man is alleged to have approached a U.S. Marshals Deputy from behind and struck the deputy in the upper back, neck, and shoulder with a wooden baseball bat; another man, allegedly assaulted a Deputy U.S. Marshal with an explosive device.  In Boston, a man allegedly shot at least 11 times toward officers, including a deputized federal officer.

About 30 people have been charged with offenses related to civil disorder.  In several instances, these individuals leveraged social media platforms to incite destruction and assaults against law enforcement officers. 

In Cleveland, two Pennsylvania men are charged with driving to the city with the intent to participate in a riot and commit acts of violence.  In their possession, authorities found a black backpack containing a hammer, two containers of Sterno Firestarter Instant Flame Gel, a can of spray paint, a glass bottle of liquor with a bar-style pour top, a Glock semi-automatic firearm and two magazines loaded with ammunition. 

In Knoxville, one individual allegedly instructed his social media followers to, “bring hammers bricks whatever you want.” The same defendant allegedly used a trashcan lid filled with an unknown liquid to strike a law enforcement officer in the head while the officer was seated in a police vehicle.

Charges have also been filed against individuals accused of committing burglary and carjacking. 

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In Pittsburgh, two individuals allegedly attempted to burglarize a Dollar Bank. 

In Louisville, two individuals were charged with conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances at a local Walgreens. Another Louisville individual was charged with carjacking; at the time of the carjacking, the individual was on a felony diversion as a result of a February 2020 conviction for charges that were initially filed as complicity to murder and complicity to robbery. 

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Several of these charges carry significant maximum prison sentences. For example, felony assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.  Arson is punishable by up to 20 years in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.