Attorney General Pam Bondi said Monday that federal agents have arrested two additional suspects tied to the Jan. 18 disruption of a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul.
Bondi identified the suspects as Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson, calling the incident a “coordinated attack” on the church.
A federal indictment unsealed Friday now lists nine defendants in total, with prosecutors alleging a conspiracy to violate worshippers’ civil rights and a FACE Act count tied to interference at a place of religious worship.
“If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you,” Bondi said on X.
Video from the incident shows demonstrators chanting “ICE out” and interrupting the service, according to reporting on the case.
The church became a flashpoint after reports said one of its pastors also serves in a leadership role connected to ICE’s local operations — a claim central to the protesters’ stated motive.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 248, FACE Act penalties can include fines and up to one year in prison for a first offense, with higher exposure for repeat offenses and certain aggravating factors.
The new arrests follow the Friday unsealing of the broader indictment that includes former CNN anchor Don Lemon and journalist Georgia Fort, both of whom say they were present in a reporting capacity.
Court filings and reporting indicate a federal magistrate judge had previously declined an earlier charging attempt involving Lemon, with the matter later moving forward through a grand jury indictment.
This story is developing…
If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you.
We have made two more arrests in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota: Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) February 2, 2026