Christopher Worrell, a member of the Proud Boys who mysteriously vanished ahead of his sentencing for his involvement in January 6th, was found unconscious at his home in Naples, Florida.
The FBI’s Tampa office reported that Worrell was taken to a hospital where he remained under medical care. However, no further details about his condition were provided.
Worrell, who was under house arrest, disappeared just days before his scheduled sentencing in Washington last month.
Prosecutors had been seeking a 14-year prison sentence for Worrell on convictions including assault and obstruction of Congress. The sudden disappearance of Worrell had sparked a manhunt by the FBI, which ended when agents discovered him unconscious at his residence.
Proud Boy who disappeared ahead of his Jan. 6 sentencing was found unconscious by agents at his home https://t.co/JxGwFkncbf
— POLITICO (@politico) September 29, 2023
Upon entering Worrell’s home, the FBI agents found night-vision goggles, $4,000 in cash, and survivalist gear. This discovery raises questions about Worrell’s intentions and whether he was planning to evade law enforcement for an extended period.
Worrell, 52, entered the Capitol as Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory on January 6, 2021.
He was found guilty of assaulting officers with pepper spray gel during the riot. In court, Worrell claimed that he was actually spraying other rioters, a claim that the judge dismissed as ‘preposterous.’
The Proud Boys, a group that describes itself as a politically incorrect men’s club for ‘Western chauvinists,’ has been linked to more than three dozen people charged.
Among them is former national chairman Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced earlier this month to 22 years in prison – the longest sentence handed down in relation to January 6th.
A member of the Proud Boys extremist group who disappeared days before he was supposed to be sentenced for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot was found unconscious by federal agents after he tried to “covertly return” to his home, the FBI said. https://t.co/o9HZnCmdls
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 30, 2023
Worrell’s attorney, William Shipley, argued his client brought the spray gel and tactical vest to Washington for defensive purposes due to previous violence between Proud Boys and counter-protesters.
He suggested the scene at the Capitol could have contributed to misperceptions creating inaccuracies in Worrell’s testimony at trial.
January 6th resulted in more than 1,100 people being charged with federal crimes, with over 650 already sentenced. Approximately two-thirds of those sentenced have received time behind bars, according to a review of court records.
