The two men arrested for carrying firearms without proper permits outside the Philadelphia Convention Center, where election ballots are being counted, were identified as pro-Trump supporters, city officials said late Friday.
The suspects were identified as Joshua Macias, 42, and Antonio LaMotta, 61, both of Chesapeake, Virginia. Mr. Marcias is co-founder of a veterans group that supports President Trump and Mr. LaMotta is a member, according to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
The two have been charged with felony and misdemeanor weapons offenses, Mr. Krasner said, adding that they will be held without bail at their arraignment Friday night.
“This alarming incident is still very much under investigation,” Mr. Krasner said.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a press conference Friday that FBI agents in Norfolk, Virginia were tipped off Thursday that individuals were headed from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Philadelphia with weapons.
The pair were arrested Thursday night outside the convention center as poll workers continue to count ballots in this week’s presidential election.
Around 10:20, police noticed a silver with Virginia tags covered in stickers supporting the QAnon conspiracy theory, Ms. Outlaw said. A few minutes later, bicycle patrol officers spotted the men.
Both men were armed with handguns. Mr. LaMotta told officers he didn’t have a permit and was placed under arrest while Mr. Macias had a Virginia permit, which was not recognized in Pennsylvania, according to Ms. Outlaw.
A woman traveling with the two was not charged, Ms. Outlaw said.
Authorities also found an AR-15 rifle in the Hummer, along with 160 rounds of ammunition, Mr. Krasner said at a news conference.
The Hummer’s stickers included a large “Q” for QAnon and #WWG1WGA,” which is shorthand for “where we go one we all go.”
QAnon followers believe Mr. Trump is fighting a secret war against satanic pedophiles in the federal government and that several prominent leftist politicians will be arrested and executed.
In 2019, the FBI labeled the QAnon movement as “conspiracy theory-driven domestic extremists,” warning they pose a domestic terrorism threat.
Mr. Macias is co-founder of Vets for Trump, according to his social media pages. In recent days, he tweeted baseless allegations that the election was being stolen from Mr. Trump.
On his LinkedIn page, Mr. Macias describes his group as the “backbone of the #MAGA Movement in your backyard.”
“We are the veterans who support our 45th President of the United States of America,” he wrote.
The Philadelphia Convention Center has become a flashpoint in the 2020 election. Pennsylvania has been too close to call for either candidate, although Mr. Trump’s rival Joseph R. Biden appears to be building a lead in the state.
Earlier in the day, a bomb threat was called into a shopping mall next to the convention center. The mall was cleared while police with K-9 units swept the building, but no explosives were found.
Police in Philadelphia said two calls threatening the bomb were made from the same phone number.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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