A Marine who was given a highly classified intelligence job after participating in the January 6 attacks has been charged after admitting his role in the riot during security interrogation.

  • Three Marines on active duty were arrested and charged on January 6 last month.
  • All three held intelligence positions even after their alleged involvement in the deadly attack on the Capitol.
  • The men face four counts, each related to the siege.

According to court documents, prosecutors arrested the Marine on charges Jan. 6 last month after he admitted to taking part in the death siege during high-security interrogation in June 2022.

Sgt. Joshua Abate was charged with four counts related to the uprising, including entering or staying in a restricted building, disorderly conduct and disruptive behavior, and parading, demonstrating or picketing at the Capitol Building.

The Special Communications Signals Analyst was transferred to a covert intelligence assignment with the National Security Agency even after his involvement in the attack, The Intercept reported this week.

Abate was assigned to the Marine Cryptology Support Battalion, which is a National Security Agency partner at Fort Meade, Maryland, and is headquartered there, according to military records first obtained by Military.com. The headquarters is one of the most secret US government facilities in the country.

Abate ultimately admitted to participating in the June 2022 riots while he was undergoing a security check, prosecutors said.

It was not clear if Abate received the intelligence assignment after revealing his involvement in the interview, or if he was already in that position at the time of the interview. The Marine Corps did not immediately respond to an Insider request for comment and clarification.

An NSA spokesman declined to comment or answer questions about whether the agency was investigating Abate.

The Marine told investigators that he and “two buddies” entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 and smoked a cigarette while walking and trying to avoid tear gas, according to court documents. Abate said he later heard that the riots were portrayed “negatively” and decided that he should keep quiet about his involvement.

Two other Marines on active duty also received new intelligence roles after January. 6 people, according to The Intercept, were arrested and charged in a joint indictment last month: Cpl. Mika Kumer and Sgt. Dodge Dale Hellonen faced four counts, each related to their role in the siege.

According to court documents, investigators found Coomer’s Instagram, which included photos and videos of the men performing at the Capitol on January 6; in one post, Coomer wrote that he was “glad to be apart [sic] stories”.

Prosecutors said all three Marines were caught on CCTV inside the Capitol. The trio spent about 50 minutes inside and at one point placed a red MAGA hat on a statue in the Capitol’s rotunda, according to court records.

One of the Marines eventually identified Abate in photographs for investigators, officials said.

Military.com reported last month that all three have been in the Marines for over four years and serve in major commands. Abate, Kumer and Hellonen were also awarded medals for good behavior, the publication reports.

The Intercept reported that both Abate and Hellonen received promotions 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 a lawyer on the list.

So far, at least 978 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, and more than 470 people have pleaded guilty.

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