Maryland State Police (MSP) say that they have charged a man in connection with a truck and car convoy that blocked traffic on the Fourth of July.
On Wednesday, July 6, MSP announced the arrest of David Riddell, 57.
Riddell is an Ohio-based truck driver nicknamed “Santa” who was at one point part of the People’s Convoy.
On Monday, July 4, members of the 1776 Restoration Movement group were reportedly using multiple convoys to demonstrate in the Washington D.C. area in support of Constitutional rights. This group is believed to be a small offshoot of the People’s Convoy, which made headlines during the spring for nearly daily demonstrations in the D.C. area as well as other locations across the U.S.
MSP says that on Monday morning, troopers were dispatched to southbound I-270, south of I-370 in Gaithersburg, Maryland, for “the report of several truckers stopping traffic and failing to obey a lawful order to open up the travel portions of the highway.”
Troopers took action to reopen the flow of traffic by dispersing the convoy.
Police named Riddell as “an alleged leader of the truck convoy.”
Following the incident on July 4, MSP applied for a warrant for the arrest of Riddell.
At 9 a.m. on July 6, Riddell was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.
MSP says that Riddell has been formally charged with disturbing the peace/hindering passage, disorderly conduct, and failure to obey a lawful order.
According to a statement released by MSP on Wednesday afternoon, Ridell is waiting to appear before a a court commissioner in Washington, D.C.
You can see Riddell speak at a 1776 Restoration Movement event in the video below.