Man who brought 11 Molotov cocktails to D.C. before January 6 pleads guilty to weapons charges

A 71-year-old Alabama man whose truck was discovered by law enforcement near the U.S. Capitol on January 6 filled with a cache of weapons that includeding Molotov cocktails pleaded guilty Friday to multiple weapons charges, including unlawful possession of the destructive devices. 

Lonnie Coffman admitted to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that he had parked his truck on Capitol Hill days before the Capitol attack. His truck was found close to where two pipe bombs were discovered at the Republican National Committee headquarters and Democratic National Committee headquarters. Coffman is not accused of planting those bombs, but  authorities said in an affidavit they noticed the handle of a firearm on the seat of Coffman's truck as they were investigating the area. 

Searching the car, investigators said they found a "large and unlawful" trove of weapons, including a loaded handgun, rifle, shotgun, several large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a crossbow with bolts, several machetes, a stun gun and the Molotov cocktails. 

The 11 Molotov cocktails were mason jars filled with ignitable substances, rags, and lighters.

When Coffman returned to his truck the evening of January 6, authorities said they found he had also been carrying two additional loaded firearms, and a judge said in a recent court ruling that there was evidence he was armed while he participated in riots near the Capitol. 

Coffman pleaded guilty Friday to possession of the 11 Molotov cocktails, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine, and also to a charge of unlawfully carrying a pistol in Washington, D.C. This carries a maximum sentence of five years. 

The defendant also admitted to unlawfully possessing 12 additional Molotov cocktails at his home in Alabama, a charge which was transferred as a separate case to the Washington, D.C. federal court. Prosecutors said nine of these mason jars also contained styrofoam.

Prosecutors agreed that the sentences for the three crimes imposed should be served together.

In addition to the gasoline-filled jars, prosecutors said Friday Coffman's truck was found with "several loaded firearms," including a 9mm handgun, a rifle, and a shotgun and "hundreds of rounds of ammunition."

Confusion about the viability of the Molotov cocktails found in D.C. caused a brief delay in Friday's plea hearing after Coffman said he had filled the jars with gasoline years earlier, so the explosive particles may have "vaporized" over the years, which would render them harmless. But after a discussion with attorneys and the defendant, Judge Kollar-Kotelly accepted that the jars were, in fact, "destructive devices." 

Coffman remains in custody pending sentencing, which is set for April.