Arrest warrant issued for Jan. 6 defendant who has gone missing with trial set to begin

By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN

The FBI is searching for a Florida woman who did not show up to court in Washington, DC, on Monday, when she was set to go to trial on federal charges related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot.

According to a warrant issued for her arrest, court officials have not been able to locate defendant Olivia Pollock since late February. The government’s search for Pollock was largely kept under wraps until she did not show up for her trial.

“Trial in this matter was scheduled for March 6, 2023, at 9:00 AM,” District Judge Carl Nichols wrote in an order. “Defendant Olivia Pollock failed to appear.” Nichols ruled that as a result, the trial would proceed with two of Pollock’s codefendants and she would be tried separately.

Pollock’s lawyer, Elita Amato, said in a statement to CNN Monday that “Ms. Pollock had been diligently assisting in her defense for her upcoming trial prior to her disappearance,” and that Amato is “ready to assist and guide her in resolving her bench warrant before the Court.”

Pollock is the third defendant charged as part of a group of Floridians accused of attacking police at the Capitol to become a fugitive. Her brother, Jonathan Pollock, has evaded authorities since he was first charged in July 2021. The FBI is offering a $15,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.

An arrest warrant for another of Pollock’s codefendants, Joseph Hutchinson, was also unsealed on Monday. Nichols previously ruled that Hutchinson, who is representing himself, would be tried separately from other codefendants and he is not scheduled to begin his trial until later this year.

Both Hutchinson and Olivia Pollock were not being held in jail before their trials — Hutchinson was on home detention, and Pollock was subject to GPS monitoring.

Hutchinson, Olivia and Jonathan Pollock are facing several charges for what prosecutors allege was a coordinated assault on several police officers. Hutchinson and Olivia Pollock have pleaded not guilty. Jonathan Pollock has not entered a formal plea.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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