In their attempt to keep a D.C. siege defendant locked up before trial, prosecutors said he planned more violence, tried to recruit other rioters to his “3%er” militia, and even had a company to sidestep laws in order to get weapons and ammunition used by law enforcement.
“I have a new security business to circumvent the 2nd Amendment issue. TTP Security Services LLC,” Guy Wesley Reffitt said in a January 9 message, according to a government motion filed Saturday. “Website is under construction but business is licensed with Secretary of State, Texas DPS, and Texas Board of Private Security. We can get ammo and weapons available to law enforcement. We have an interior certified training officer. Join us and lets take back our country. The fight has only just begun.”
This is the defendant previously accused of threatening his children to keep quiet about his involvement in the January 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol Building. Supporters of then-President Donald Trump raided the premises after the former POTUS continued to lie that he actually won the 2020 presidential election, and it was being stolen from him. They postponed but did not prevent Congress from counting electoral college votes weighing in favor of winner Joe Biden. Five people died amid the chaos: four Trump supporters, and one Capitol police officer. Another Capitol officer, a D.C. Metro officer, and a siege defendant died by suicide mere days after the incident.
Authorities say that’s Reffitt on video washing his eyes out amid rioters and cops spraying each other with chemical irritants by the Capitol Building. You can see the man identified as the defendant beginning at about 0:39 of the video below.
In their new motion, the government described Reffitt as a proud participant in that day’s events, being at the front of the crowd charging cops. He had driven to D.C. with at least two guns, an AR-15 rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol. At the time of the siege, he had a pistol and flexi-cuffs, wore body armor, and wore a helmet mounted with a video camera when at the Capitol Building, prosecutors said.
“I finally made it to the top of the steps when they broke through the doors,” he allegedly wrote in a message on January 9. “My job was done then. I had to fall back and get my site back.”
He was allegedly told family and militia colleagues that he had the largest jacket he owned in order to hide the tactical gear he was wearing.
According to authorities, Reffitt was recorded talking about his actions by a family member who did not agree with what he did on January 6. Audio indicated he was a proud participant, admitted to having a gun, and expected more violence in the future.
“Actually what happened was only the preface of the book,” he allegedly said. “You know what a preface is? The beginning of the book. It’s kind of an explanation of how the book is going to turn out. But it’s just a notification of what you’re going to read in the future. All that was just an example of what we could do without firing a shot. Even though this gun was right here loaded, all I had to do was that [mechanical noises] and shoot, but I didn’t have to do that. I chose, and everyone chose, not to.”
Reffitt allegedly insisted on discussing the matter after his wife suggested he not do that.
“Can I talk about it in my house?” he allegedly said. “Is that cool with you? Are you done or what? I mean, it’s a free, sh– , this is my kid and my wife, and its –. I’m in the security of my own home, I’m good. I mean, if you guys want to turn me in – if either one of you turn me in – that’s fucking fine. I’ll take it. I don’t mind. I was willing to die when I was there. I was willing to die. So, if we’re going to jail for having been up there, then I’m done.”
Reffitt also attempted to recruit other rioters to his militia, the “Texas Three Percenters” (TTP), prosecutors said. He allegedly promised them weapons and ammunition available to law enforcement. When the Federal Bureau of Investigation confronted him about his, the defendant allegedly lied that the initials of the business name meant “Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures,” and was not related to the militia. That was a lie, prosecutors asserted.
Statements indicated he expected and planned more violence, authorities said.
“I think we showed that we are no longer going to take so much,” Reffitt allegedly said in a recorded conversation on January 9. “We are still not done. And everyone I’ve spoke to is — actually they’re getting ready to go back on the 20th [Inauguration Day]. . . .Why, I don’t know. Because that’s not where they need to go. We need to go to California or we need to find that — we need to destroy the news media and start all over.”
Reffitt’s attorney did not immediately return a Law&Crime request for comment.
You can read the government’s motion here:
Guy Wesley Reffitt – Detention Motion by Law&Crime on Scribd
[Screengrab via Reuters]
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