Polk County siblings accused in Jan. 6 riot are seeking plea deals, court documents show

Siblings Jonathan Pollock and Olivia Pollock, former fugitives facing multiple felony charges related to the U.S. Capitol attack, are exploring plea agreements, according to federal court records.

Jonathan Pollock’s lawyer, Carmen D. Hernandez, filed a joint motion Tuesday for an extension until Aug. 12 to file motions to dismiss a superseding indictment against the Pollocks. Federal prosecutors did not oppose the motion, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

“The reason for the request is that the parties are engaged in productive discussion to seek to resolve the case before trial,” the motion states. “Therefore, it would preserve resources to extend the motions deadline for one week.”

Olivia Pollock’s lawyer authorized Hernandez to state that she joined the request, the motion says. Their trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 15. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Olivia Pollock, 33, and Jonathan, 25, were both living in North Lakeland when they traveled with family and friends to attend former President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021. They joined a group who walked to the Capitol, where both houses of Congress were meeting to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

A grand jury indicted the Pollocks on charges including assault on officers, violent entry, presence in a restricted area and disorderly conduct. According to an arrest affidavit, Jonathan Pollock advanced to the mouth of a tunnel at the entrance to the Capitol.

The Department of Justice released photos and videos captured on Jan. 6 that it alleged showed Jonathan Pollock and his friend, Joseph Hutchinson III, assaulting police officers who were trying to protect the Capitol from an advance by rioters.

FBI agents arrested Olivia Pollock on June 30, 2021, at her family’s property. Agents did not find Jonathan, who became a fugitive after the indictment was unsealed.

The FBI offered a reward of up to $30,000 for information leading to Jonathan Pollock’s arrest and conviction.

Hutchinson and the Pollocks’ cousin, Joshua Doolin of Polk City, were also indicted and arrested. They and Olivia Pollock were released on bond under monitoring programs.

Days before their scheduled trial in March 2023, Olivia Pollock and Hutchinson disabled their GPS monitors and fled, the Justice Department reported, joining Jonathan Pollock as federal fugitives.

FBI agents captured and arrested all three on Jan. 6 of this year at a ranch in southern Lake County, the Justice Department said. A superseding indictment added charges of failure to appear in court, which can yield a sentence of 10 years when defendants face charges with a maximum penalty of 15 years, as the Pollocks do.

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The Pollock siblings and Hutchinson have been held without bond at a facility in Washington, D.C., since their arrests. They are scheduled for a status conference Tuesday before Judge Carl J. Nichols.

Doolin was convicted last year on four charges and is serving an 18-month prison sentence. A federal judge agreed to reduce his sentence in June. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, he is still an inmate at the Residential Reentry facility in Orlando, with a release date of Aug. 29.

Seven current or former Polk County residents have been charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack. Two others, Brian Boele and Thomas Osborne, both of Lakeland, are still awaiting trials.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.