The FBI is searching for an East Naples, Florida man who was convicted of charges stemming from the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Christopher Worrell, 52, was a member of the Proud Boys who has been on house arrest since his release from custody in 2021. His sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 18, but has fled and disappeared.
“The longer you’re gone, the worse off it is for you, so the sooner you avail yourself of the court, the better,” Jill Prenger, a criminal defense attorney, said. “It is possible if there is still more room on the higher end of the guidelines that the government might request more time or that the judge his or herself could actually increase the sentence that was in need initially sought by the government.”
Worrell was charged with 19 offenses, including: Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds Using a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings; and Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon.
He was found guilty of spraying pepper spray gel on Capitol police officers. Prosecutors wanted the court to sentence him to 14 years in prison, followed by three years of probation, $2,000 in restitution, and fines of up to $181,000.
The sentencing has been cancelled and a warrant for his arrest has been issued.
While in custody, Worrell said he was denied access to medication to treat cancer and was deprived of the ability to see an oncologist. While he was in federal custody, his cancer progressed from Stage 1 to Stage 3. A judge ordered his release after U.S. Marshalls reported unacceptable jail conditions that “do not meet the minimum standards of confinement.”
The FBI did not specify for how long Worrell has been missing or what led to the need for a search.
