PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two Oregon brothers accused of being among the hundreds of supporters of former President Donald Trump who stormed the U.S. Capitol following the infamous “Stop the Steal” rally in early January had forced open a secured Capitol door during the melee and one of them had used a Gadsden flag on a flagpole to interfere with law enforcement, according to court documents detailing allegations.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 21-year-old Jonathanpeter Klein and 24-year-old Matthew Klein were ordered to be held pending their trial by a U.S. District of DC judge via a video conference hearing on Friday and are expected to stay detained until their next hearing on April 1.
The Klein brothers each face a slew of charges in connection with the Jan. 6 riot, including conspiracy; obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; and destruction of government property and aiding and abetting. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports they have not entered pleas.
In documents detailing the grand jury indictment against the pair, authorities allege Jonathanpeter Klein is “a self-identified member of the Proud Boys,” a right-wing extremist group that has been in the spotlight for its members’ alleged actions during the Capitol attack.
Both of the Klein brothers boarded a plane from Portland International Airport to Philadelphia on Jan. 4 ahead of the rally, according to the indictment. The plane tickets were allegedly paid for in cash in late December 2020 after Jonathanpeter “notified his employer that he wanted to take time off from work between January 4 and 8, 2021, so that he and his brother could attend the ‘stop the steal rally in DC,'” authorities said.
On Jan. 6, the day of the Capitol attack, federal prosecutors allege Matthew Klein helped members of the crowd by using a police barricade to help them climb a wall that led to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol just after 2 p.m. Minutes later, Jonathanpeter Klein allegedly entered the Capitol on the northwest side and spoke with a Proud Boys member, identified only in court documents as “Person 1,” in a “celebratory exchange.”
When Jonathanpeter Klein allegedly entered the Capitol Rotunda, court documents said he saw the Proud Boy member identified as “Person 1” again and greeted the individual saying “proud of your ****ing boy!”
When the Kleins left the Capitol, they returned and worked together to “forcibly open a secured door” on the building’s north side while federal law enforcement officers were standing on the other side of the door.
As law enforcement officers responded, Matthew Klein allegedly put on protective goggles and then used a Gadsden flag — a yellow flag featuring a coiled rattlesnake and the words “Don’t Tread On Me” — that was attached to a flagpole to interfere with officers as they tried to disperse the crowds.
Court documents also indicated that Jonathanpeter Klein was involved in other pro-Trump supporter events, including a clash with Black Lives Matter protesters outside of the Oregon Capitol on Sept. 7.
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It’s unclear if Jonathanpeter Klein or Matthew Klein have attorneys.
More than 250 people have been charged in federal court for their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 attack that left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer.