An upstate New York man was denied bail on Monday after a judge rejected his lawyer’s arguments that he deserved a break for falling under the spell of former President Donald Trump in the siege at the U.S. Capitol.
Matthew Greene was charged last week with conspiracy and other counts in connection with the January riot. A federal indictment has accused the Syracuse man of being a member of a contingent of the Proud Boys extremist group that participated in the mob violence.
Federal Public Defender Gabrielle DiBella argued at a hearing on Monday that her client got caught up in Trump’s incendiary rhetoric before a protest that culminated in the storming of the Capitol. The lawyer said it was a unique set of circumstances that could not be repeated in a way that would make her client a future risk.
Prosecutors countered that weapons and ammunition found Greene’s home disqualified him for release until he can appear in Washington to face the charges there.
Greene was among hundreds arrested after the Jan. 6 attack, when Trump’s supporters broke into the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
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