U.S. pursues sedition charges in vast, 'unprecedented' probe of Capitol siege

The acting USA attorney in Washington, DC, Michael Sherwin, told reporters that the agency is at the onset of "a long term investigation" that "is not going to be solved overnight". "That number, I suspect, is going to grow into the hundreds".

"And as mentioned, with this strike-force to focus strictly on sedition charges, we're looking at, in creating this, just like a significant worldwide counterterrorism or counterintelligence operation, we're looking at everything", Sherwin said.

Sherwin said this includes individuals who potentially committed crimes inside or outside the Capitol grounds.

Sherwin said the "range of criminal conduct" being investigated was "unmatched" and "mind-blowing". The FBI and the Department of Justice say they expect charges to be filed against hundreds more rioters from all over the country.

This includes "significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy", he said. Such charges can bring jail terms of up to 20 years.

Michael Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, tells reporters that his office has opened more than 170 cases related to the U.S. Capitol siege, at a conference held at the Department of Justice on January 12, 2021. "The men and women of the FBI will leave no stone unturned in this investigation", Steven D'Antuono, chief of the FBI's Washington field office, said Tuesday, per Fox News.

The announcement came days after a crowd of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an assault that left five people dead. They had timers. We don't know, obviously, why they did not go off.

D'Antuono said authorities are putting up a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification of whoever planted the pipe bombs.

D'Antuono also said the agency is considering keeping those who attacked the Capitol last week from boarding planes by adding them to the federal no-fly list.

"And if you look at what other people have said, politicians at a high level, about the riots during the summer, the disgusting riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was a real problem".