Two Wilmington area residents charged in connection with riots on January 6, 2021

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – A federal criminal complaint says two people from the Wilmington area have been charged with four counts in connection with their alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021 riots.

The statement of facts comes from a task force officer with the Charlotte Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It describes the events: Congress met at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, to certify the Electoral College vote count for the 2020 presidential election, which began at approximately 1 p.m. But as this happened, a large crowd gathered outside the Capitol.

Then, at 2 p.m., the officer said people in the crowd broke in by attacking police officers, breaking windows and committing other acts. Members of Congress were evacuated and the joint session adjourned until shortly after 8 p.m

Videos and photos of the event were posted online and captured by surveillance cameras, showing hundreds of people entering the capital. Among those people were Rebecca Irene Marshburn and her daughter Kelsie Marie Watkins, the official said.

The statement continued that the two drove together from their homes near Wilmington to D.C. to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally, arriving in D.C. around 9 a.m

“Marshburn and Watkins admitted to attending the rally and listening to various speeches, including those by the former president. “Marshburn recalled hearing the former president direct rally participants toward the Capitol during his speech,” it said.

Included, according to the official, are photos showing Watkins and Marshburn wearing Trump merchandise and later entering the building. The statement said that at around 2:49 p.m. they took advantage of the rioters’ superior strength at the double doors of the Senate to enter the building

In other photos, the couple can be seen walking through the wing of the house and appearing to harass officers, the statement of facts states. The investigator says the couple left the Capitol around 4:30 p.m

The charge is knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and obstructing or disrupting the orderly conduct of government business or official functions. Additionally, they write that there is probable cause that the couple knowingly “uttered loud, threatening or abusive words or engaged in engagement.”[d] for disorderly or disruptive behavior” in the Capitol building and on the grounds. Finally, it says they also violated a section that prohibits people from holding parades, demonstrations or picketing in Capitol buildings.

The statement was signed on September 20, 2024 and filed with the court on October 7, 2024.

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