A status conference scheduled in the nation’s capital for Shawnee Township resident Jonathan Copeland, charged by the U.S. Justice Department with two felonies and five misdemeanor criminal counts for his alleged actions during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, was continued Tuesday until 1 p.m. on July 6 in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
Preliminary plea negotiations between federal prosecutors and attorneys representing Copeland reportedly have been underway since late last year. Copeland, 29, had previously waived his constitutional right to a speedy trial and was released on a personal recognizance bond.
According to the FBI, the Shawnee Township man was one of thousands of people who had gathered in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021 — the date when the U.S. Congress was to formally certify the results of the 2020 presidential election which saw Joe Biden defeat incumbent Donald Trump.
Federal officials arrested Copeland in August for allegedly shoving a large framed metal “Trump” sign into officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Copeland has admitted to being in the rotunda of the Capitol building during the Jan. 6 events, according to the FBI.