Washington, D.C. – Taylor Taranto, identified in court exhibits as having participated in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, faces new legal challenges. A federal grand jury has introduced five additional felony charges against Taranto, following his arrest last summer for possessing guns and potential bomb-making materials near former President Barack Obama’s Washington, D.C., residence.
Taranto, 37, was apprehended on June 29 after he allegedly attempted to approach Obama’s home in the Kalorama neighborhood, armed with firearms, ammunition, and supplies possibly intended for creating an explosive device. Law enforcement officials, including the Secret Service, engaged Taranto after he fled towards the property, eventually capturing him in nearby woods.
The U.S. Navy veteran, who has lingered in the capital for months, reportedly parked his van close to a jail housing other January 6 defendants, where he sometimes resided.