Robert Gieswein From Woodland Park Surrenders After Facing Federal Charges For U.S. Capitol Riot

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (CBS4) - Federal authorities say 24-year-old Robert Gieswein from Woodland Park turned himself in late Monday afternoon in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. According to the affidavit, Gieswein "assaulted and intimidated" U.S. Capitol Police officers with a baseball bat and a temporary barrier, and sprayed an officer with something from a canister.

Gieswein is just the latest person with ties to Colorado to face federal charges. He lived in Woodland Park, Cripple Creek and Florissant according to public records.

Neighbors at a mobile home park in Woodland Park recorded security camera video showing the FBI attempting to located him.

Gieswein is facing multiple charges, including assaulting a federal officer, destruction of government property, entering a restricted area and disrupting Congress.

Investigators say photos and video show Gieswein among the group that broke a window to enter the Capitol.

Gieswein was wearing a tactical military-style vest, a helmet and goggles -- and holding a baseball bat. On the vest is a patch for the "Woodland Wild Dogs," a private paramilitary training group he runs, according to the affidavit.

Gieswein was interviewed in a news documentary titled "Storming the Capitol: The Inside Story." In it, he says, "What we need to do is, we need to get the corrupt politicians that have been in office for 50-60 years, that have been destroying our country and selling it to the Middle East and Israel, out of office and they need to be imprisoned."

When he asked what his message is to Congress, he said, "That they need to get the corrupt politicians, out of office, Pelosi, the Clintons all of, every single one of them. Biden, Kamala. They have completely destroyed our country and sold them to the Rothschilds and Rockefellers."

Investigators say Geiswein appears to be affiliated with a radical militia group known as the Three Percenters.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, "Three Percenters (also known as 3%ers, III%ers, and Threepers) are anti-government extremists who are part of the militia movement." The group has been active in response to a range of issues, including attempts to pass state level gun control measures, state-imposed restrictions and lockdowns to prevent spread of the coronavirus, and social justice protests.

Scott Levin of the Anti-Defamation League is well aware of them.

"It's built on a misnomer that only three percent of the stood up to the British at the time of the revolution," Levin told CBS4's Rick Sallinger.

According to the affidavit, several photos on his Facebook page show Gieswein flashing hand signals commonly used by the group and posing in front of the flag.

The Three Percenters are believed to have been just one group that took part in the assault on the Capitol.

"Generally they have stood against what they view to be the tyranny, the restriction on their liberty and at the top of that is their Second Amendment rights."

Gieswein's social media pages are filled with guns.