Rachel Powell, the Mercer County woman charged with smashing a window at the Capitol with a pipe and barking instructions to rioters, will now be monitored by GPS while she awaits trial — and will have to pay for it herself.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth issued that order Tuesday after the government said Ms. Powell has repeatedly violated pretrial release orders.
The judge also ordered that she provide her pretrial services officer in Pittsburgh with a list of places she has to go for her job with the knowledge that the officer has final say.
Ms. Powell, a mother of eight who is seen in videos smashing a window and yelling through a bullhorn to other rioters about the layout of the building, is charged with multiple felonies and faces almost certain prison time if she’s convicted.
The U.S. attorney's office in Washington, D.C., had asked for the GPS monitoring because prosecutors say Ms. Powell hasn't taken the conditions of her release seriously despite already receiving a break from the judge.
She lives on property owned by her boyfriend, Joe Jenkins, who runs a slate roofing consulting company, and is supposed to be working for him in construction. But her pretrial officer said she has done other jobs for Mr. Jenkins that aren't part of her job description as approved by pretrial. She was also seen with him on a banking errand and hanging out at a local brewery.
In addition, Ms. Powell left her house early one day before work and told pretrial she was gardening, which she said she does for Mr. Jenkins as well. She explained that she does banking errands, hosts events with Mr. Jenkins in the evenings, and does whatever else he tells her to do. But pretrial said none of those activities had been included in her construction job description that she filed with the office.
Mr. Jenkins defended her, sending the office a letter saying she works as his office manager and lambasting the FBI's case against her as politically motivated. He characterized her actions at the Capitol as a protest against election fraud.
No evidence has emerged to support the contention that the election was stolen.
Prosecutors said GPS is necessary to make Ms. Powell comply, and Judge Lamberth agreed.
He also ordered that Ms. Powell pay for the GPS system herself to the extent that she can.
The U.S. attorney's office has said it considers Ms. Powell a threat.
In October 2020, she posted on Facebook that the only way to fix the political system in the U.S. is with "bloodshed." She acted as a leader in joining the pro-Trump mob during the insurrection and is seen hefting a 10-foot pipe to knock out a window, according to the FBI.
Agents said she had left her children behind, unattended, to travel to Washington. While the FBI was hunting for her, she gave an interview to the New Yorker magazine.
When agents tracked her down, a search of her house turned up go-bags, ammunition and shuriken throwing stars.
Ms. Powell is among two dozen people from the Pittsburgh region charged in the insurrection. The investigation is continuing.
Last week, the FBI arrested another local: Thomas Carey, 21, of Pittsburgh, is accused of parading through the Capitol with four other young men.
First Published: September 22, 2022, 1:22 p.m.
Updated: September 22, 2022, 1:26 p.m.
