A man from Nevada who is facing charges for his involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot has been placed in jail after allegedly making threats towards Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and other public figures. Bradley Scott Nelson’s concerning behavior led a federal magistrate judge in Maryland to decide to keep him detained until a hearing next week.
U.S. District Judge John Bates had previously agreed to revoke Nelson’s pretrial release in July, leading to a warrant for his arrest. Bates is set to oversee a hearing next Wednesday to determine whether Nelson should remain detained until his trial related to the events of January 6, 2021.
According to Magistrate Judge Charles Austin’s order, Nelson is accused of making a series of threatening statements this year, including social media posts. These statements include posting an image of Attorney General Merrick Garland with crosshairs on his head and expressing a desire for harm to come to him. Nelson also allegedly threatened Justice Barrett and posted images with similar threats towards New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Nelson, who works as a long-haul truck driver, is also said to have posted videos displaying his animosity towards two FBI agents involved in his Capitol riot case. His behavior towards one of the agents became so aggressive that a US Marshal had to escort the agent to their car due to safety concerns.
An attorney representing Nelson in his Capitol riot case declined to provide any comments on the situation. Nelson’s jury trial is scheduled to commence on December 10. He was taken into custody in March 2023 on misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Nelson amongst the rioters who breached the Capitol on January 6.
