Tattoo parlor owner charged with sedition

Posted 1/19/22

Roberto Minuta, 37, owner of a tattoo parlor in the City of Newburgh, was one of 19 Oath Keeper members indicted by the United States Department of Justice charged with seditious conspiracy. The …

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Tattoo parlor owner charged with sedition

Posted

Roberto Minuta, 37, owner of a tattoo parlor in the City of Newburgh, was one of 19 Oath Keeper members indicted by the United States Department of Justice charged with seditious conspiracy. The charges resulted from the Oath Keepers involvement in the Capitol Riots that took place on January 6, 2021. These charges can lead to a reported 20 year prison sentence.
Listed below are the following charges against Minuta:

• Count One: seditious conspiracy;

• Count Two: conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding;

• Count Three: obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting;

• Count Four: conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties;

• Count Thirteen: tampering with documents or proceedings.

• The indictment refers to the Oath Keepers as “a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias”.

• The indictment document and multiple reports have identified Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 56, of Granbury, Texas, as the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers.

• Minuta is reported to have also frequented his time in Prosper, Texas and also was living in Hackettstown, New Jersey for a time.

• The indictment stated the Oath Keepers welcomed anyone into their ranks, but the group mainly recruited active service members, veterans and first responder personnel.

• On the day of the riots, Oath Keepers members, reported being dressed in military and protective gear, breached the Capitol Building.

• The indictment stated at 3:15 p.m. on January 6, Minuta and other Oath Keepers of a second group known as a “stack” breached the Capitol Rotunda. Phrases such as “Get out”of “my Capitol” were shouted at law enforcement according to the indictment.

• In the indictment, it stated Minuta and other Oath Keepers also conducted multiple digital chats over various web communications and services to meet in Washington, D.C. and planned and prepared for the specific day.

• In early 2020, an executive order instituted by former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo had called for state business to shutdown to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

• Minuta defied the order and opened his tattoo parlor during that time to the public and had customers come in for sessions.

• Rhodes was reported to have made the trip to the shop in support of Minuta and was the first customer receive a tattoo.

• In early March of 2021, Minuta’s shop was vandalized prior to his arrest for his involvement in the Capitol Riots. Windows had been smashed in and various phrases were spray painted on his building.

• Minuta was reported to have been released on a $125,000 bond following his March arrest and had to surrender personal firearms, was restricted travel to only New York, Texas and Washington, D.C. and had to relinquish his passport.