A 72-year-vintage Florida pastor going through federal criminal charges bobbing up from the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump took part in a preliminary listening on Thursday before a decision.
James Cusick Jr., the pastor of the Worldwide Outreach Ministries of Melbourne, Florida, faces 4 misdemeanor expenses associated with the rebellion, such as violent access and disorderly behavior on Capitol grounds. His son, Casey Cusick, 35, also a pastor at his father’s church, faces comparable expenses but did not take part in Thursday’s listening.
One of their parishioners, David Lesperance, 69, also faces comparable prices. Lesperance did not participate in the hearing.
According to an FBI affidavit, Lesperance told investigators that his pastor had attended Trump’s speech before the insurrection, after which he went to the Capitol building.
More than 535 people have been charged with taking part in the rebellion. Trump has made fake claims that he lost the 2020 presidential election due to electoral fraud. The rebellion interrupted the formal congressional certification of President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump.
The FBI affidavit outlining the case against James Cusick consists of pictures purporting to reveal him in the Capitol for the duration of the rebellion and of him standing outside Trump’s motel in Washington the day earlier. He’s the primary clergyman recognized to have been charged in the revolt.
Cusick has pleaded not guilty to all expenses and is free on bail. John Pierce, an attorney for Cusick, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
At Thursday’s hearing, a prosecutor told U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss that consolidating the cases of Cusick, his son and Lesperance became under consideration. A similarly listening to James Cusick changed into the set for Sept. 28.
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