FL Proud Boy On House Arrest For Jan. 6 Disappears Before Sentencing

WASHINGTON, DC — Authorities are searching for a Florida man and self-identified member of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys after he disappeared days before his sentencing for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a report.

Christopher Worrell, 52, of Naples, was scheduled to be sentenced Friday after he was found guilty of spraying pepper spray gel on police officers when he and thousands of others stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress gathered to certify Joe Biden's presidential victory, The Associated Press reported. Prosecutors had asked a judge to sentence him to 14 years in prison.

The sentencing was canceled and a bench warrant for his arrest was issued under seal on Tuesday, according to court records. The U.S. attorney's office for Washington, D.C., encouraged the public to share any information about his whereabouts.

Worrell had been on house arrest in Florida since his release from jail in Washington in November 2021, less than a month after a judge substantiated his civil-rights complaints about his treatment in the jail.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth found Worrell's medical care for a broken hand had been delayed and held D.C. jail officials in contempt of court.

His attorney William Shipley declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press.

Evidence presented during Worrell's five-day trial in May showed he was part of the "Hurricane Coast Zone 5" Proud Boys chapter. In the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6 attack, Worrell and other Proud Boys members used an encrypted chat app to voice their animosity toward police.

On the morning of Jan. 6, prosecutors said Worrell, dressed in a tactical vest and carrying two canisters of pepper gel, marched with other Proud Boys from the Washington Monument to the U.S. Capitol. As he passed police officers, he warned them not to resist, stating, "Honor your oaths, on your knees" and "Don't make us go against you."

By 1 p.m., Worrell and other Proud Boys members breached the Capitol, where he filmed himself calling Capitol police officers "scum," "pieces of s---" and "commies."

During the attack, Worrell sprayed pepper gel at a line of officers. He also shoved two officers defending a staircase leading to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol.

Worrell was arrested on March 12 in Naples.

Anyone with information about Worrell's whereabouts should contact their local FBI office, U.S. embassy or consulate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.