TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Prosecutors from the Department of Justice are asking a federal judge to limit communication between a group of January 6 defendants primarily from Polk County.
In a new court filing, prosecutors argued they want to restrict their communication because of the defendants’ extremely dangerous and coordinated actions targeting police officers protecting the U.S. Capitol.
The motion applies to Olivia Pollock of Lakeland, Joshua Doolin of Polk City, Joseph Hutchinson III, formerly of Lakeland, and Michael Perkins of Plant City. They are all free on bond following their arrests last summer.
The member of the group prosecutors said was the most violent, Jonathan Pollock of Lakeland, is still a fugitive. The FBI recently issued a $15,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
As the mob of former President Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, prosecutors said he thrust a stolen riot shield at an officer’s throat during one of several assaults on police.
“I think it shows how concerned the federal government is with the fugitive that remains at large,” Jon Lewis, a Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said of the government’s motion filed last week.
In the motion, prosecutors said Pollock’s co-defendants, including his sister and cousin Doolin, should be prohibited from communicating or meeting in person, unless counsel is present.
“Based on court filings this is certainly one of the most interesting and maybe under the radar assault cases that has come together in recent months,” said Lewis, who is tracking more than 670 Jan. 6 cases.
Olivia Pollock and Doolin’s attorney’s did not respond to News Channel 8’s request for comment on Monday evening.
“The defendants are family members and/or close associates of Jonathan Pollock, who has now evaded apprehension for more than nine months, a significant period of time which suggests that he has received assistance from those close to him,” the DOJ prosecutor wrote in the motion.
