The Department of Justice
- Three active-duty Marines were arrested and charged on Jan. 6 charges last month.
- All three held intelligence roles even after their alleged participation in the deadly Capitol attack.
- The men face four counts each related to the siege.
Prosecutors arrested an active-duty Marine on Jan. 6 charges last month after he confessed to participating in the deadly siege during a high-level security clearance interview in June 2022, according to court documents.
Sgt. Joshua Abate is facing four counts related to the insurrection, including entering or remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
The special communication signals analyst was transferred to a sensitive intelligence assignment at the National Security Agency even after his participation in the attack, The Intercept reported this week.
Abate was assigned to the Marine Cryptologic Support Battalion, which partners with and is headquartered at the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland, according to military records first obtained by Military.com. The headquarters is one of the most sensitive US government facilities in the country.
Abate ultimately confessed to participating in the riot in June 2022 while he was undergoing a security clearance process, according to prosecutors.
It was unclear whether Abate got the intelligence assignment after disclosing his involvement in the interview or was already in the position at the time of the interview. The Marine Corps did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment and clarification.
A spokesperson with the NSA declined to comment or answer questions about whether the agency is investigating Abate.
The Marine told investigators that he and "two buddies" entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 and smoked a cigarette while walking around and trying to avoid getting hit with tear gas, according to court documents. Abate said he later heard that the riot was being portrayed "negatively" and decided he should keep his participation quiet.
Two other active-duty Marines who were also given new intelligence roles post-Jan. 6, according to The Intercept, were arrested and charged in a joint indictment last month: Cpl. Micah Coomer and Sgt. Dodge Dale Hellonen face four counts each related to their roles in the siege.
Investigators discovered Coomer's Instagram which included photos and video from the men's time in the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to court documents; in one post, Coomer wrote that he was "glad to be apart [sic] of history."
All three Marines were caught on security footage inside the Capitol, prosecutors said. The trio spent about 50 minutes inside and at one point placed a red MAGA hat on a statute in the Capitol Rotunda, according to court records.
A fellow Marine eventually identified Abate in photos to investigators, officials said.
Military.com reported last month that all three men have been enlisted in the Marines for more than four years and are stationed at major commands. Abate, Coomer, and Hellonen were also all recipients of good conduct medals, the outlet reported.
The Intercept reported that both Abate and Hellonen received promotions in ranks in the aftermath of the riot.
Lawyers for Abate and Hellonen did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, and Coomer did not have an attorney listed.
At least 978 people have been arrested in connection with the attack thus far, and more than 470 people have pleaded guilty.
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