An accused Capitol rioter threatened his children with violence if they reported him to the police, prosecutors say

• An accused Capitol rioter threatened his children so they would stay quiet, prosecutors said.
• His kids spoke to investigators even though he allegedly threatened them if they shared information.

A man accused of taking part in the January 6 Capitol riot faces the charge of threatening to harm his children if they shared information about him, prosecutors said.

Guy Reffitt of Wylie, Texas, has been charged with taking part in the riot and faces five federal charges, including bringing guns to the Capitol, Reuters reported.

The charges also include using physical force and the threat of physical force against his teenage son and daughter if they gave information to authorities, federal investigators said, according to Reuters.

Prosecutors have subpoenaed Reffitt's son, daughter, and wife, Reuters reported. They have already spoken to investigators despite the alleged threats.

His daughter has testified against him in court, and his son said he reported him to the FBI. These actions are how investigators learned about the alleged threats.

In January, Reffitt's son, Jackson, told investigators that Reffitt told him that if he reported his to the police, Reffitt would "do what he had to do," court documents said. The son interpreted this as a threat, the documents said.

The affidavit said that Reffitt also threatened his daughter while she was using her phone to talk to her friends.

He told her that if she recorded him or put anything about him on social media, she would have "crossed the line, betrayed the family," and he would "put a bullet through" her phone, the affidavit said.

The two children then told their mother about what their father. She then confronted him, where he said to her that if his children turned him in they would be traitors and "traitors get shot," the court documents said.

Reffitt never entered the Capitol building during the riot, but is accused of charging police officers outside, Reuters noted.

Reffitt was arrested in January and is currently awaiting trial in a Washington jail, according to Reuters.

Five people died in the riot, including a Capitol Police officer.