By Tom Sayre
Warren/Frederick County Report
FRONT ROYAL, VA, January 17, 2021 — We had a lengthy local interview on the telephone with Wesley Allen Beeler, 31, of Front Royal, who on January 15, drove his Ford F-150 pickup truck to work as an independent contractor security professional in D.C., and came upon a checkpoint on E Street near the Capitol. Numerous news outlets had Beeler from Front Royal but no one on social media had heard of him living in or near the town.
With his voice calm and strong, Beeler explained that he is a family man with a wife, Noelle and four children. Beeler said he moved to Front Royal “back in May of 2020.” He had not lived prior in Front Royal. Beeler confirmed that he graduated from Alpha Omega high school in 2009, which is a Christian-based online high school. He says he is a man of faith.
We asked Beeler about his prior training and specifically whether he attended the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy. Beeler explained that he did attend the Academy but “no I did not certify there, I had left just before certification, they were not offering certification yet, but I did graduate from the basic officer training for the Virginia Department of Corrections.”
Beeler was working as an independent contractor (“received a 1099” as he called it) for MVP Protective Services. MVP, established in 2004, states online they are “a local small security business that serves an international security market. We provide security services to the private and government sector.”
We asked Beeler to explain what happened on the day of his arrest. Beeler said, “Well I am going to start from the beginning when it comes to this because it is easier to explain it that way from my understanding – what actually happened.”
What Happened from the Beginning – in His Own Words
Beeler explained, “I was getting text messages from a friend and the security company that I was working for, several days in advance before the contract started. The contract started on the 7th. So because what happened on the 6th people were scared (the aftermath from the Capitol protest and riot that occurred during the congressional electoral approval process) and didn’t want to come to work. So I started on the 8th and came in around 10 a.m., the shift starts at 6 p.m., and they called me around 7:30 a.m. to come in. And I was doing a favor for a friend, I agreed to come in, starting on the 8th. I was there for about 6 shifts before all of this happened.” A shift for Beeler with MVP was normally from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. – a 12-hour shift. He began work for MVP on January 8 and it ended on the 15th when he got pulled over.
Beeler said he began work in security on the 8th and around the 10th he received the placard for his credentials. There are about 20 to 25 people per shift and everyone has a placard that is getting past checkpoints and this had been working for a couple of days, according to Beeler.
“So the capitol police know of the credentials that were given to us but not everybody, not a department wide thing I guess now that I found that out.
“So, we were using it (the credentials given by MVP). I took a day off and I came back two days ago now, I believe. So, I came up to the checkpoint after going through a couple of different spots where police officers were and the National Guard and I showed this credential and gave them my driver’s license at the same time. They kept sending me to another one, to another one, and I came up to this one, the check point. They asked to pull off to the side because the police officer had no idea what it was. I understand, “I say, is there anybody else who might understand or like, know what this is?”
“When I pulled up to it, I did not ask to gain access to the road they were on. I said, can you please show me to the National Mall. I am not from D.C. And effective with all of these road closings and all of these (jury-rigged) walls, I am trying to get to the National Mall because that is where my post is. It is on 7th Avenue behind the Smithsonian.
“So I kept getting circled around and I asked, can you point me to the National Mall because that is where my job is. There are other people there that work for this company (MVP) I am working for. I don’t care to go through your checkpoint, I just need to know where to go and he told me to pull off to the side because he didn’t recognize it and he was going to ask his supervisor to come over.
“I show the Sergeant the same thing and I never got my credentials back, that’s fine, if you want me to go home, I will go home. I don’t care about this.”
“I was upset about this a couple of days prior because it is not a real credential. It said, 2021 Inauguration, pre-event pass. To work the gate. And the contractors who were putting up fences, … everybody was getting this card to use. It is around your neck lanyard with a card on the end of it.
“So that is what I was given. I was given it from whoever is running the event, and gave it to my employer (MVP) that I was working for.
Beeler calls his employment job a 1099, and we ask, “You are an independent contractor?” and Beeler says “Exactly,” adding, “So it is MVP protective services. They have refused to answer. My buddy won’t talk to anybody either. He just called me an hour ago. They told him not to talk to anybody at this point.”
The FBI, the Secret Service, the Capitol Police
As previously stated, Beeler said he was doing night work security for MVP and had completed 6 work shifts. Beeler further stated “I have pictures of me there, doing the job right. That is why I am not being charged with anything like that because I was already there for the shift. The FBI, the secret service, the capitol police looked at my phone. I told them why I was there at the capitol. I have been here, there is nothing wrong with that.”
We ask, “you have a license for a gun in Virginia?” Answer, “that’s correct, yes.” And you were driving to your job and realized you had your gun with you but did not turn around because you were already halfway to the job? Answer, “yes.”
The Superior Court Judge gave Beeler a personal recognizance bond, meaning he allowed Beeler to sign his name and not post any bond. Beeler is not going to get back his gun, credentials or any other material that they took from him. Family man Beeler said, “They obviously don’t think I am a terrorist of any sort, but I have to go back for the court.”
The Judge also ordered that Beeler had to stay out of D.C. except to visit his lawyer or to attend court, thereby losing his job with MVP.
He has a trial date in June and wasn’t sure of the exact court. He reminded this reporter that he wasn’t supposed to be giving out those details or speaking to anyone about it.
Beeler said he doesn’t want anyone showing up at his house.
Beeler reported “I had reporters show up at my house last night.” They were TV reporters with cameras wanting to do an interview at his door, until the police told them to leave and they looped back around.
Unfortunately, Beeler has been through a lot. He is married to a young lady named Noelle. “I do have 4 children.”
Beeler indicated he was reaching down deep into his faith during this time. “Trust me, while I was sitting there in jail, I was praying the whole time.”
Beeler Wants to Protect People
“It was just a simple mistake and I apologize to the District of Columbia for that. I am not a bad person. I am not here to hurt anybody, I am here to do what I can to protect people, as much as I can, is what I do.
Beeler concluded, “I just want my name cleared.”
The charges
An incident report provided by the DC Metropolitan Police shows Mr Beeler was charged with carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered and/or unlawful firearm, possession of unregistered ammunition, unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of an large capacity ammunition feeding device.
The report says the following items were seized from Mr. Beeler’s vehicle: 1 Glock 17 Gen 4 9MM handgun, 509 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 21 12-guage shotgun shells, 1 17-round Glock magazine.
Image of the US Capitol courtesy of Martin Falbisoner, via Wikimedia Commons.
tom@areaguides.com
In order to add some clarity, a 1099 is roughly equivalent to a W2. An individual classified as an emloyee receives a W2 at the end of the year that documents the amount paid that employee that year along with the taxes and FICA that were withheld on behalf of the the employee and remitted to the IRS. A 1099 is the form that a non-employee receives that documents the amount paid the worker. A worker getting paid on a 1099 does not contribute to Social Security and generally receives no employee benefits. This worker is generally considered to be an Independent Contractor.
When Joe Waltz was Town Manager, he was an employee who received benefits and a W2. As an employee, Social Security and Medicare were withheld and paid on his behalf. Matt Tederick did not want to be considered as an employee and opted to be treated as an independent contractor so he didn’t have to contribute to Social Security.
Thank you for your comment to the WFCR news article. I am familiar with some tax filings and a worker’s status. A recipient of a Form 1099 (an independent contractor) still has to pay FICA (Medicare and social security) on their earnings in their federal 1040 filing.
The difference is an employee pays half of FICA and his employer pays half for a total of 15.3%. Whereas as independent contractor pays the whole cost of 15.3%.
If he is working for a security company and “forgot” there was a weapon in his vehicle, it would make me wonder how well he does his job. If you forget you have a weapon, you probably shouldn’t be empowered to carrry one, especially in a position of authority.