Capitol insurrection suspect Clifford Mackrell's plea deal expires

A plea deal offered to a Wellington man accused of attacking a police officer while storming the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, has expired. Federal prosecutors have rejected a counteroffer from Clifford Mackrell, 21, according to pretrial records from U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. He faces felony counts of physical violence on the Capitol grounds, assaulting a police officer and civil disorder, as well as misdemeanor counts of entering and remaining in the restricted federal building and engaging in disorderly and disruptive conduct. Mackrell has pleaded not guilty to both the original indictment and a version that was updated after the Secret Service revealed Vice President Kamala Harris had not been in the building when a mob invaded it the day the presidential election was being certified by Congress. The terms of proposed plea agreements have not been made public. Discussions "that may result in a disposition short of a trial" are ongoing, the court record shows. If they fall through, a tentative trial date of Wednesday, May 10, 2023, has been scheduled. Another pretrial hearing is set for 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, via teleconference with Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. The crawl toward a trial has not been speedy. The court has extended deadlines repeatedly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the enormous bulk of evidence being processed by the intelligence community and plea discussions. Mackrell remains free on a personal recognizance bond. According to the FBI, Mackrell was identified by a tipster who recognized him as a 2018 graduate of Wellington High School. Federal investigators quickly found his Facebook page, where Mackrell allegedly posted on Jan. 6 that the government is corrupt and "how about we get rid of all of them because well it is out literal job as american's to kill the tyrannical government. [sic]" In a lengthy report, the FBI identified Mackrell as the man seen repeatedly striking a Capitol police officer, then grabbing the officer's face mask and pulling it off "in an apparent attempt to expose him to a chemical spray that had been released." More than 19 months after supporters of former President Donald Trump swarmed over barricades and forced Congress to evacuate, at least 889 people have been charged with a broad spectrum of crimes. About 350 have pleaded guilty. Off-duty police officer Thomas Robertson, 49, of Ferrum, Virginia, is the latest to be sentenced as of Monday. He must spend 87 months in prison. A jury found him guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds while carrying a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct in a restricted building while armed and tampering with documents. "Thomas Robertson, despite swearing an oath of office when he became a police officer, joined the violent mob at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and did so while armed," U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said in the FBI's most recent release on the investigation. "Today's sentence holds him accountable for his role in the violence that day." Another off-duty officer, Jacob Fracker, 30, of Rocky Mount, Virginia, is scheduled to be sentenced today after pleading guilty in March to a conspiracy charge. Earlier this month, Troy Elbert Faulkner, 41, of Whitehall, became the latest Ohio resident to plead guilty to felony charges in connection to the insurrection. He admitted to a charge of destruction of government property — he was part of the large crowd illegally outside the Capitol, and jumped onto a window ledge where he kicked in two panes. The Architect of the Capitol estimated the damage at $10,560, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Faulkner was arrested Dec. 8, 2021, in Blanchester, Ohio, and will be sentenced Oct. 14. He could spend a maximum of 10 years in prison and also may face financial penalties. The FBI continues to expand its investigation, which is the largest in the nation's history. Anyone who witnessed unlawful violent action or has information about the cases underway can call (800) 225-5324 to report tips, or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. A reward of up to $100,000 is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for placing pipe bombs in Washington the day before the Capitol riot. Jason Hawk can be reached at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.