Omar Gonzalez Indicted on Additional Charges Stemming from Recent Intrusion on White House Grounds
Grand Jury Returns Superseding Indictment as Investigation Continues
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a superseding indictment today charging Omar Gonzalez with three additional offenses stemming from a recent incident in which he ran into the White House while armed with a folding knife.
The superseding indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Special Agent in Charge Kathy A. Michalko of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office.
Gonzalez, 42, formerly of Copperas Cove, Texas, initially was indicted on Sept. 30, 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was charged at that time with unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon, a federal offense; carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or place of business, a District of Columbia offense; and unlawful possession of ammunition, also a D.C. offense.
The superseding indictment includes those three charges. It also adds two federal counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, and one District of Columbia count of unlawful possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 19, 2014, at about 7:19 p.m., Gonzalez climbed over the north fence of the White House. An officer with the U.S. Secret Service ran toward him and yelled at him to stop. Gonzalez, however, ran toward the White House. Moments later, he went through the north doors and entered the building.
He was apprehended inside the White House after he allegedly assaulted, resisted or impeded two U.S. Secret Service officers, the basis for the new federal charges filed today. Gonzalez was searched and a black folding knife was discovered in his right front pants pocket. The knife had a serrated blade that was three and one-half inches long.
After Gonzalez’s arrest, he gave oral consent to search his vehicle, which was located on Constitution Avenue NW. The vehicle contained hundreds of rounds of ammunition, both in boxes and in magazines, two hatchets and a machete. The newly-filed District of Columbia charge involves the recovery of gun magazines that held more than 10 rounds.
Gonzalez is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 21, 2014. He has been in custody since his arrest on Sept. 19, 2014.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Mudd and Thomas A. Gillice, of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Press Release Number: 14-1136