Welch had fired an assault rifle inside Comet Ping Pong restaurant, injuring no one. (Sathi Soma)A North Carolina man who commandeered a Washington pizza restaurant with an assault-style rifle in December pleaded guilty Friday to weapons and assault charges in a deal with U.S. prosecutors. The false stories said the ring operated in the basement of Comet Ping Pong, where Clinton’s presidential campaign chairman, John Podesta, occasionally dined. He pleaded guilty to a federal charge of transporting firearms and ammunition across state lines and a District count of assault with a dangerous weapon. Friends and family members had said they thought Welch was on a mission to save children, not to hurt anybody.

Source: Washington Post March 24, 2017 12:06 UTC