'Extremely dangerous': Feds seek to limit contact between Polk's January 6 defendants

Gary White, The Ledger
·5 min read
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Federal prosecutors want to limit communication among four local residents charged with crimes in the U.S. Capitol attack, 10 months after they were indicted.

The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia filed a motion Wednesday asking a judge to block any communications without a lawyer present among the quartet, three of whom lived in Lakeland at the time of the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

In the nine-page petition, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Moeder wrote that the request “is based on the defendants’ dangerousness and the fact that one of their co-defendants is actively eluding law enforcement as a fugitive.” That was a reference to Jonathan Pollock of Lakeland, who has avoided arrest on multiple felony charges.

Prosecutors submitted the motion to modify the defendants’ conditions of release in response to a show-cause order from Judge Carl J. Nichols, who is handling the combined cases.

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The motion applies to Olivia Pollock of Lakeland; Joshua Doolin of Polk City; Joseph Hutchinson III, formerly of Lakeland and now of Georgia; and Michael Steven Perkins of Plant City. The four were indicted in late June and soon arrested. All are now free on bond.

Jonathan Pollock, 23, was not present when FBI agents raided the family’s property in the Kathleen area on June 30. The FBI recently issued a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to Pollock’s arrest.

North Lakeland siblings Olivia Pollock, left, and Jonathan Pollock, were charged with assaulting officers in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
North Lakeland siblings Olivia Pollock, left, and Jonathan Pollock, were charged with assaulting officers in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

All but Doolin face felony charges for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 attack that resulted in five deaths and left dozens of law-enforcement officers injured. The intrusion into the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump caused members of Congress to flee for safety and temporarily stopped certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Prosecutors have not alleged that any of the five entered the U.S. Capitol, though some approached an entrance, according to prosecution documents.

The Pollock siblings, Hutchinson and Perkins are charged with assaulting law-enforcement officers, entering and remaining in restricted grounds, disrupting government activities and engaging in violence on the U.S. Capitol grounds. Jonathan Pollock faces additional charges of stealing government property.

Doolin, 24, is charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.

Prosecutors grouped the cases together because they say the five coordinated their travel from Florida to Washington, D.C., and largely remained together during clashes with law-enforcement officers guarding the U.S. Capitol. Doolin is a cousin of the Pollocks, another relative told The Ledger, and Hutchinson and Perkins are friends.

Doolin has asked Nichols to sever his case from those of the other four. The judge has not yet ruled on the request.

'A tendency towards violence'

Joseph Hutchinson, in gray circle, is allegedly shown fighting with officers outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, in an image from a federal arrest affidavit. Joshua Doolin is identified inside the green circle.
Joseph Hutchinson, in gray circle, is allegedly shown fighting with officers outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, in an image from a federal arrest affidavit. Joshua Doolin is identified inside the green circle.

In the motion, Moeder writes that the defendants’ actions on Jan. 6, 2021, “were extremely dangerous.” The petition says that the five “assaulted officers, broke through barricades, carried or acquired weapons and restraint devices, and planned and coordinated their actions.”

The motion says the defendants “are in a different category of dangerousness than those who cheered on the violence or entered the Capitol after others cleared the way.”

The filing described Hutchinson’s conduct at the U.S. Capitol as “particularly egregious.” It says that in less than 30 minutes, “he participated in four separate assaults on law enforcement officers, several in close coordination with Jonathan Pollock.”

The motion says that the prosecution has no evidence that any of the defendants brought weapons to Washington, D.C., but claims that Perkins used a flagpole to assault two officers. Prosecutors have submitted photos and videos to support the charges that all but Doolin committed violence.

Joshua Doolin is seen in an image captured outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to an FBI affidavit.
Joshua Doolin is seen in an image captured outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to an FBI affidavit.

The prosecution asserts that electronic communications show Doolin considered bringing a gun to the Capitol and expressed his intent to “storm” the Capitol. While outside the federal building, Doolin obtained zip ties, a cannister of crowd-control spray and a riot shield, the motion says.

“The nature and circumstances of the defendants’ conduct demonstrate a tendency towards violence, a flagrant disregard of legal authority, and a willingness to impede and obstruct the lawful function of government,” the motion states.

Remaining on the run

The filing says that Jonathan Pollock’s status as a fugitive “weighs in favor of imposing this condition as well.” Moeder wrote that Pollock’s ability to evade capture for more than nine months “suggests that he has received assistance from those close to him.”

Blocking communication among the other four without a lawyer present reduces the risk that they will provide Jonathan Pollock any support in eluding authorities, the motion says.

The filing cites previous court cases to argue that prohibiting contact among co-defendants is common in cases involving multiple defendants who coordinated to commit crimes. Moeder argues that family relations or friendships “should not be an impediment” to imposing such restrictions.

Moeder writes that the defendants have sought multiple changes to the conditions of their release from custody. The prosecution has objected to each motion, partly on the grounds that communication among them “presented a danger to the community,” but judges have granted some requests.

For example, a provision in Perkins’ original release order blocking him from contact with his co-defendants was revoked. And Nichols has twice approved requests from Hutchinson to travel back to Lakeland, once to join Doolin for his wedding and related festivities.

Moeder submitted the motion on behalf of Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

Moeder’s motion says that the defendants object to the proposed changes in their pre-trail conditions. It is not clear how soon Nichols might rule on the request.

Another local resident, Corinne Montoni of Lakeland, was arrested in March 2021 on charges of obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted space and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. She is being prosecuted separately from the other Polk County residents.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Capitol riot suspects from Polk County, Florida face more restrictions