A federal criminal case against a high-profile media figure took shape Friday after authorities announced charges tied to a disruptive protest that unfolded inside a Minnesota church earlier this month.
According to the New York Post, journalist Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles early Friday morning.
Prosecutors allege Lemon played a role in coordinating or participating in actions that interfered with constitutional rights during a January 18 incident involving anti-ICE protesters.
The charges stem from a protest that escalated when demonstrators entered a church in Minnesota during a Sunday worship service.
Authorities say the group disrupted the service and interfered with the rights of congregants to freely practice their religion.
Federal prosecutors charged Lemon under 18 USC 241, Conspiracy to Deprive Rights.
The statute makes it illegal for “two or more persons to agree to injure, threaten, or intimidate a person in the United States in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States,” according to the Department of Justice.
He was also charged under 18 USC 248, a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, commonly known as the FACE Act.
While the law is most often associated with protecting access to medical facilities, federal officials note that it also applies to interference with religious worship and related conspiracy statutes.
Investigators allege Lemon’s actions went beyond observation or reporting and crossed into conduct that unlawfully interfered with protected rights.
Department of Homeland Security officials said the charges reflect the seriousness of disrupting religious services and conspiring to deny constitutional freedoms.
Lemon was taken into custody without incident and is expected to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon for an initial hearing. No additional defendants were identified in the charging announcement, though the case centers on a larger group involved in the protest.
If convicted on both counts, Lemon could face more than a decade in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, according to the Department of Justice.
The case is expected to draw close attention due to Lemon’s prominence as a journalist and the nature of the charges, which touch on First Amendment rights, religious freedom, and federal conspiracy law.
