California man charged with conspiracy in January 6 events at US Capitol

A California resident has been charged with conspiracy and obstruction of official proceedings during the events at the US Capitol on January 6 and with other offences

The US federal authorities have charged a California resident with conspiracy and obstruction of official proceedings during the events at the US Capitol on January 6 and with other offences, the Justice Department said.

"Edward Badalian, 27, of Los Angeles, California, is charged in an indictment with conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, tampering with documents or proceedings, and other offences," the Justice Department said in a press release on Monday.

Badalian was arrested on November 17 in Los Angeles and made his initial court appearance in the Central District of California. He was arraigned on November 23 in Washington, the release said.

"According to the indictment, in the fall of 2020, Badalian ... and others created a Telegram group chat, called the 'Patriots 45 MAGA Gang,' and used it as a platform to advocate violence against certain groups and individuals that supported the 2020 Presidential election results," the release added.

The group's activities included collecting weapons and tactical gear to bring to Washington on January 6 and storming past barricades to gain unlawful access to the Capitol, according to the release.