J6 political prisoner Jonathan Mellis warns he and other J6 defendants in the “Patriot Pod” of the DC Gulag are being tortured by “racist, hateful, and abusive correctional officers,” sexually assaulted and treated like animals for being Trump supporters.
Mellis is pleading for help from the American people, in a letter to The Gateway Pundit. The treatment I have endured since my arrest has shaken my faith in humanity
Mellis, 34, was arrested in a pre-dawn FBI raid while visiting his parents at their home.
“I was arrested on February 16, 2021, as if I were an Al Qaeda terrorist. I have not seen my family’s faces in almost 2 years. My father, Gennaro Mellis, died a few months after my arrest. I was denied bond back then and still today,” he wrote. “I hope you can forgive me for reaching out for assistance. I am struggling.”
The last time Mellis saw his father, he was hauled away by FBI agents.
“My father was a decorated Vietnam War hero. He was a retired US Army Major, and also retired from the Navy. The last time I ever saw my father I was in handcuffs in front of his house surrounded by dozens of militarized FBI agents. My father was my best friend. My father knew my character and stood by me until his death on May 17, 2021,” he continued. “Unfortunately, my widowed mother is being forced by circumstance to sell the home our family grew up in. It looks like I will never get to see the inside of the home my father raised me in.”
Mellis has spent a year in solitary confinement and 35 days in “the hole,” a “worst version of solitary confinement with chains.”
“The DC Gulag is a special kind of hell,” Mellis, who previously resided in Williamsburg, Virginia, wrote. “We J6ers have been housed in our own unit together called the Patriot Pod. ”
CLICK HERE TO HELP JONATHAN MELLIS’ LEGAL FUNDS AND LIVING EXPENSES.
“There have been many instances where one or several of our brothers have been beaten, maced, or even sexually assaulted by our jailers. One of us was zip-tied in the middle of the night in his cell and severely beaten,” the letter states. “One of us was maced for not wearing his mask. One of us was sexually assaulted while he was strip-searched on his way back from his lawyer.
“For nearly a year of my incarceration, I have been subjected to solitary confinement. This means 23 hours or 22 hours every day in my cell. I got 1 or 2 hours a day outside of my cell to shower and make a phone call. I was taken out of this pod randomly one day and placed in the hole, which is a worse version of solitary confinement with chains, for 35 days with no due process or explanation.”
In Dec. 2021, a US Marshals Service conducted an inspection of the DC jail and Patriot Pod and found “systemic failures” including jail employees withholding food and water from inmates as punishment and turning off water in their cells.
“Human waste and raw sewage overflowed in toilets and there was rampant drug use, according to the inspection,” NBC Washington reports.
According to the Marshal’s statement inspection determined the conditions of the main jail facility conditions “do not meet the minimum standards of confinement as prescribed by the Federal Performance-Based Detention Standards.” As a result, approximately 400 inmates in federal custody were transferred from the DC jail to federal prison.
Correctional officers retaliated against the J6 defendants for complaining about the filthy conditions after the failed inspection by spiking their food cleaning products, Mellis claims.
“Our entire pod’s food has even been poisoned with cleaning chemicals after court rulings against this jail because of how we are treated or when our complaints resulted in the US Marshalls inspecting this jail,” he explained. “This jail failed the inspection resulting in hundreds of Federal inmates being transferred out of here. This jail lost a lot of money because of this. Simply put, this jail hurts us and hates us.”
On January 6, 4 people were killed by police officers including Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt. The officer who killed Babbitt, Lt. Michael Byrd was exonerated from criminal charges and provided special housing by the federal government.
Federal prosecutors allege Mellis hit a police officer with a stick during the riot.
Mellis is allegedly seen in police body-cam footage “repeatedly striking and making stabbing movements towards the officers with the weapon in his hand” and attempting “to strike the officers’ necks between their helmets and body armor where they are not protected,” a criminal complaint states.
Mellis faces ten charges, including five charges of violence with a deadly weapon, according to the Department of Justice. He pleaded not guilty to all 10 charges.
“The government used this photo of Jonathan Mellis in their case against him for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot,” Courthouse News reports.
In December, the Mellis asked U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan, a Reagan appointee, to reconsider letting him live at his home in Virginia to prepare for the trial and insisting his girlfriend would make sure he stays out of trouble.
He vowed that he will be on his “best behavior” and will show “our government the respect it deserves.” But the Justice Department denied his request claiming, according to a court filing, that he poses a public safety risk to the community given his violent charges.
“He hasn’t even had his initial bond hearing in 651 days! The hearing to determine if he even should be held or not!!!” Mellis’ girlfriend, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Gateway Pundit.
Mellis’ girlfriend thanked The Gateway Pundit readers for their support because “in many cases, the donations from the American people make determine whether these men will be able to buy food and eat or not.”
Here is Jonathan Mellis’ letter.
Dear America,
My name is Jon Mellis. I am a January 6 detainee inside the DC Gulag. I have been incarcerated for almost 2 years. The treatment I have endured since my arrest has shaken my faith in humanity. I thought I was in a country where citizens were deemed innocent until proven guilty. I thought I was in a country with due process and equal application of the law, regardless of political affiliation. I thought I was in a country where citizens are afforded dignity and treated humanely.I was arrested on February 16, 2021 as if I were an Al Qaeda terrorist. Dozens of heavily armed FBI agents and an armored vehicle executed a predawn raid on my parents house as I was visiting. Since then I have been denied visitation or video visitation. I have not seen my family’s faces in almost 2 years. My father, Gennaro Mellis, died a few months after my arrest. I was denied bond back then and still today. My father was a decorated Vietnam War hero. He was a retired US Army Major, and also retired from the Navy. The last time I ever saw my father I was in handcuffs in front of his house surrounded by dozens of militarized FBI agents. My father was my best friend. My father knew my character and stood by me until his death on May 17, 2021. Unfortunately my widowed mother is being forced by circumstance to sell the home our family grew up in. It looks like I will never get to see the inside of the home my father raised me in.The DC Gulag is a special kind of hell. We J6ers have been housed in our own unit together called the Patriot Pod. For nearly a year of my incarceration I have been subjected to solitary confinement. This means 23 hours or 22 hours every day in my cell. I got 1 or 2 hours a day outside of my cell to shower and make a phone call. We J6ers have had to deal with racist, hateful, and abusive correctional officers. There have been many instances where one or several of our brothers have been beaten, maced, or even sexually assaulted by our jailers. One of us was ziptied in the middle of the night in his cell and severely beaten. One of us was maced for not wearing his mask. One of us was sexually assaulted while he was strip searched on his way back from his lawyer. I was taken out of this pod randomly one day and placed in the hole, which is a worse version of solitary confinement with chains, for 35 days with no due process or explanation. I was lied to by supervisors and treated like an animal because I’m a Trump supporter. This has happened to many J6ers. Our entire pods food has even been poisoned with cleaning chemicals after court rulings against this jail because of how we are treated or when our complaints resulted in the US Marshalls inspecting this jail. This jail failed the inspection resulting in hundreds of Federal inmates being transferred out of here. This jail lost a lot of money because of this. Simply put, this jail hurts us and hates us.The DC Gulag is a nasty building unfit for human habitation. It is infested with black mold, rats, and toilets that do not flush. The drinking water from the sinks is frequently brown and stinks like rotten eggs. We are not given proper cleaning chemicals and this is how we live. We rely on ourselves to keep our spirits up because we do not have access to visitation or even video visits. I have not seen my loved ones in almost 2 years. This alone has had a detrimental effect on my mental health. I feel isolated and alone. Deputy Warden Kathleen Landerkin made her feelings clear in her public Twitter and social media posts. She hates Trump supporters and believes we deserve to be treated worse than human beings. The grievance process in this jail is completely broken. We have no recourse for relief. I must tell you that given our current situation we J6ers still stand to sing the Star Spangled Banner every night at 9pm with our hands on our hearts. I love this great nation and I believe in the American people.I feel terribly frustrated. The inaction from our elected representatives to our plight is very upsetting. We are up against the full weight of the DOJ and the mainstream media. I’m scared, depressed, and overwhelmed. My life is on the verge of being completely destroyed. I could really use some help. My lawyer alone will cost me an arm and a leg. I’m drowning and I don’t know where else to turn. I am so grateful for the American people who have already donated to my legal fund. But I am short of the amount I need to continue with my current legal team. I hope you can forgive me for reaching out for assistance. I am struggling. God bless Jim Hoft and the Gateway Pundit for helping me get my story out. And God bless you all for your love and support.Strength and Honor,Jon Mellis
Most of Joe Biden’s political prisoners are being denied due process, held without bail, have yet to be convicted of a crime and are languishing in solitary confinement as they lose their livelihoods waiting month after month for a crooked judge and jury in Washington DC to begin to adjudicate their case.
“The number of people charged in the insurrection is expected to keep growing as FBI agents pore through video footage, social media posts, phone location data, and tips from the public,” Business Insider reports.
CLICK HERE TO HELP JONATHAN MELLIS’ LEGAL FUNDS AND LIVING EXPENSES.
The post J6 Political Hostage Jon Mellis Speaks Out – Jan 6 Detainees Have Been Sexually Assaulted and ‘Ziptied In the Middle Of The Night’ – Coming Up on Two Years of Isolation and Abuse – PLEASE GIVE BELOW appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.