WASHINGTON — An Alabama man who drove to D.C. on Jan. 6 with an “armory” of weapons in his truck – including nearly a dozen Molotov cocktails – was sentenced Friday to 46 months behind bars.
Lonnie Leroy Coffman, 72, of Falkville, Alabama, pleaded guilty in November to two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of carrying a pistol without a license.
According to Coffman’s attorney, Manuel Retureta, he drove to D.C. on Jan. 6 because he wanted to “investigate the allegations of fraud he had heard from media outlets.” Coffman did not participate in the assault on the U.S. Capitol Building, but was arrested when he returned to his vehicle, where police found a cache of weapons, including a 9mm handgun, rifle, shotgun, crossbow, machetes, camouflage smoke devices, a stun gun and a cooler containing 11 Molotov cocktails. Police said Coffman also had another 9mm handgun and a .22-caliber revolver on him as he walked around D.C. on Jan. 6.
Retureta argued in his sentencing memo that Coffman should be given timed served in recognition of the more than 13 months he had already spent in custody since his arrest last January. But prosecutors wanted him to serve 46 months in prison.
In court Friday, assistant U.S. attorney Michael Friedman said Coffman had been involved in “deeply disturbing militia activity.” According to his sentencing memo, that included taking part in armed patrols along the Texas border to look for undocumented immigrants. Coffman was reportedly staying in a militia gathering point called “Camp Lonestar” with a militia group calling themselves the “American Patriots.”
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said she was greatly concerned by the amount of weapons Coffman had with him when he came to D.C.
"I don't think in all my years as a judge I've had quite such a collection of weapons to deal with," Kollar-Kotelly said. "These are very serious offenses. This is a large number of guns unregistered and unlicensed. Machetes. A crossbow. And these Molotov cocktails..."
Kollar-Kotelly ultimately sentenced Coffman to 46 months in jail, with credit for the time he’s already served, as well as three years of probation. Coffman will also have to submit to mandatory mental health treatment.
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