Midland Jailer Charged in Connection to January 6th Protest

MIDLAND, TX –– Over the weekend, a former Midland County jailer was charged for his participation in the January 6 protest.

According to court documents, the FBI obtained evidence Cory Ray Brannan illegally entered the Capitol building.

A search warrant on Brannan's phone number revealed his phone was used inside the building and that he communicated with other people who were also inside that day.

Pictures of Brannan "wearing a camouflage Trump 2020 hat, black hoodie, camouflage pants, and khaki vest with scissors and goggles," show the former jailer outside the building. Security footage also showed Brannan inside the Capitol.

According to the FBI, the images show Brannan had three patches on his vest: an American flag “thin red line” patch, a III% patch, and a yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” patch."

The III% or Third Percenter patch is associated with a "far-right, anti-government militia movement." The group is a staunch advocate for gun ownership and chose its name for a very unique reason.

The group believes that "the active forces in the field against the King's tyranny never amounted to more than 3% of the colonists" during the American Revolution."

Last month the FBI met with  Midland County Sheriff’s Office Captain Adam Hilliard twice to confirm if the images obtained by the FBI featured Brannan, who up until recently was employed at the jail. Captain Hilliard, who oversees the jail, identified Brannan in the images.

Brannan has been charged with the following misdemeanors:

• knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority
• disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
• violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds
• parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, all misdemeanors