A federal judge denied a Capitol riot suspect's claim that his health was getting worse in jail, and kept him inside
FBI
- Christopher Worrell, a member of the Proud Boys, was charged in March with joining the Capitol riot.
- Worrell, who has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, asked to be freed from jail, saying he was being denied adequate treatment.
- A judge denied the request Wednesday and said Worrell's medical conditions had not worsened.
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A federal judge has said that a Capitol riot suspect who claims his medical condition is worsening in jail was lying, and declined to free him, court documents show.
Christopher Worrell, a member of the Proud Boys, was arrested in Florida in March and accused of pepper-spraying Capitol Police officers during the riot, engaging in violence and disorderly conduct, and other charges.
He was indicted on April 9 and held without bond pending trial, according to Justice Department filings.
Worrell has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.
Worrell, who was jailed shortly after his March 12 arrest in Florida, has twice applied to a judge to be freed on medical grounds.
In his first emergency motion for reconsideration, filed on March 26, Worrell, who has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, said his condition was "rapidly deteriorating," that the government was not providing adequate medical treatment, and that his condition puts him at risk of contracting infections related to COVID-19, court filings said.
Worrell also tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after arriving in jail.
The motion was rejected by US District Court Judge Beryl Howell and, on May 11, Worrell filed a second motion for reconsideration.
"I'm pleading with the court: I need this treatment, whatever it may be," Worrell told the judge in May, according to Law & Crime. "This is an extremely trying time for me and my family."
On Wednesday, US District Court Judge Royce Lamberth denied the motion, noting that Unity Healthcare - the contracted healthcare provider for Washington, DC, jails - "disputed defendant's allegation that his lymphoma condition is 'rapidly deteriorating' and reported no significant change in defendant's examination since his arrival at the DC Jail," the court ruling said.
"Contrary to defendant's characterizations, the record reflects that he has received attentive medical care for his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, COVID-19, and other ailments while in custody," the ruling said.
Insider contacted Worrell's attorney for comment.
As Insider's Erin Snodgrass previously reported, the FBI had tracked down Worrell at his home in Naples, Florida, after someone close to Worrell's girlfriend contacted the agency in mid-January to say that they had identified Worrell in pictures from the riot.
According to Lamberth's ruling, Worrell wrote in a Facebook post: "SO WHOMEVER CALLED THE 'FEDS' ON ME REST ASSURED I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THIS SOON!!"
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