Jonathan Copeland argues with a camera man/photographer in the crowd.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Justice Department
LIMA — A Shawnee Township man charged by the U.S. Justice Department with two felonies and five misdemeanor-level crimes for his actions during an uprising at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, made an appearance in a federal courtroom in the nation’s capital last week.
Jonathan Copeland, 28, appeared on video via telephonic hook-up before Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, who was presiding from inside a District of Columbia federal courtroom during the Sept. 1 hearing.
Copeland waived his constitutional right to a speedy trial and also waived a preliminary hearing during that hearing. He was placed on a personal recognizance bond.
Nathan Silver was appointed to represent Copeland and the government was ordered to produce all exculpatory evidence to the defendant’s legal counsel. No future hearing has been scheduled at this time, according to court documents.
Copeland made his initial court appearance on Aug. 26 at the federal court for the Northern District of Ohio. He was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond, with conditions that he not possess firearms or other deadly weapons. The case was subsequently transferred to the District of Columbia federal court.
According to the FBI, Copeland was one of thousands of people who had gathered in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021 — the date when Congress was to formally ratify the results of the 2020 presidential election which saw Joe Biden defeat incumbent Donald Trump.
A large crowd had gathered that day at the urging of Trump, who maintained — despite several court rulings to the contrary — that the election was beset by voter fraud and that the results should be overturned. Copeland was among the protesters who illegally entered the Capitol building to protest the election results that day.
Federal officials arrested Copeland late last month for allegedly shoving a large framed metal “Trump” sign into officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol.
He faces federal felony charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement with a dangerous weapon and interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder. He also faces five related misdemeanor charges, including civil disorder and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds.
Copeland has admitted to being in the rotunda of the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 uprising, according to the FBI. He reportedly was identified as being at the site by two witnesses, one who saw him on footage by CBS News and another who identified him through the FBI’s website.
More than 860 people have been arrested since the insurrection at the Capitol, including more than 260 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the Justice Department. Fifty-two are from Ohio, including Donald Chilcoat and Shawndale Chilcoat, of Celina, who were arrested last month.
