A Ladera Ranch entrepreneur accused of teaming with a former Orange County police chief and members of an extremist group to take part in the Jan. 6 insurrection is expected to accept a plea deal from prosecutors, according to a new federal court filing.
A judge in Washington D.C. on Friday agreed to set an April 19 change of plea hearing for Russell Taylor, a day after both the prosecution and the defense filed a joint motion indicating that had reached an “in principle agreement.”
Taylor was facing a dozen criminal charges, including conspiracy, obstruction, entering and remaining in a restricted building and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on Capitol grounds. The terms of his expected plea deal — including what counts he will admit to and what potential sentence he will face — have not yet been outlined in court records.
Taylor and Alan Hostetter — a former La Habra police chief turned Yoga instructor and conservative activist — are accused of working with four suspected members of the extremist, right-wing Three Percenters militia from Riverside County to both plan for and take part in the Jan. 6 riot, when thousands of pro-Trump supporters breached Congress in a violent but failed attempt to halt the certification of President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Federal prosecutors have accused Taylor of “organizing and fomenting” a group of “armed fighters” to take part in the Capitol riot. They allege that Taylor armed himself with a knife, joined a “mob of protestors” and celebrated “at the sight of chaos.”
The day before the riot, prosecutors say, Taylor gave a public speech outside the Supreme Court in which he said, “We will fight and we will bleed before we allow our freedoms to be taken from us.” Later that evening, Taylor allegedly posted a photo on an encrypted messaging service depicting “gear” arranged on a bed, including two hatchets, a stun baton and a knife. The image was allegedly captioned “Now getting ready for tomorrow.”
Prosecutors allege that Hostetter drove across the country with a backpack belonging to Taylor that was “full of weapons.”
See also: List: These Southern California residents are accused of taking part in the Capitol riot
On Jan. 6, Taylor was allegedly among the initial group of rioters who clashed with law enforcement officers outside the Capitol building. In the midst of the chaos, prosecutors say, Taylor filmed a selfie video in which he “urged on other rioters who were fighting with the officers” and shouted, “Move forward Americans!”
In a chat message sent later that evening, Taylor allegedly wrote “I was pushing traitors all day. WE STORMED THE CAPITOL!”
Hostetter — who is opting to act as his own attorney — has apparently since turned on his former allies. In court filings, Hostetter has accused Taylor and his other co-defendants of being government informants, though he has provided no direct evidence backing up that assertion.
More than a dozen people with Southern California ties have admitted to their role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol over the past year, among more than two-dozen locals who have been charged in connection to the insurrection.
Most of those pleading guilty have admitted to lower-level charges that amount to trespassing in restricted areas, and have been sentenced to short stints behind bars or supervised release and community service.
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