A North Carolina man who acted on an internet conspiracy theory by firing an assault weapon multiple times inside a pizza restaurant in the nation’s capital now faces a federal gun charge, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Edgar Maddison Welch of Salisbury, North Carolina, is charged with interstate transportation of a firearm with intent to commit a crime, and local charges including assault with a dangerous weapon and property destruction have been dropped.
The federal charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and potential financial penalties.
The 28-year-old Welch has been in jail since the Dec. 4 shooting at Comet Ping Pong, which was targeted by purveyors of fake news and falsely rumored to be the site of a child sex trafficking ring run by prominent Democrats.
