Joshua Macias biography: 13 things about Vets for Trump founder from Chesapeake, Virginia

Joshua Erick Macias is a Spanish-American man from Chesapeake, Virginia, United States. He is a supporter of 45th U.S. president Donald Trump.

Born in California, USA, Macias speaks English and Spanish. He comes from a military family and he himself is a six-year Persian Gulf War veteran.

Macias and his wife Renae Nicole Macias have three sons. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. In the U.S. Navy, Macias served as a small-boat engineer. He fought against narco-terrorism in South America and was involved in operations against Iran. In 1997, he deployed to Yemen. (a)
2. From 1997 to 1998, he studied nuclear electrical engineering at Nuclear Power School, a technical school operated by the U.S. Navy in Goose Creek, South Carolina, USA. (b)
3. From October 1999 to October 2005, he volunteered as a fund raising director at HOPE Worldwide. From 2002 to 2003, he studied electrical engineering at Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (b)
4. From January 2003 to December 2013, he was the president of JEB Development Corp. (b)
5. From November 2008 to May 2010, he worked for JCP Enterprise as the director of business relations. (b)
6. He volunteered as a project manager with the Virginia Beach Extreme Home Makeover Project in 2011. (c) From 2011 to 2013, he studied business administration and management at the East Coast Polytechnic Institute (ECPI) University in Virginia Beach. In December 2011, he became a certified distressed property expert. (b)
7. From 2015 to 2017, he attended Northcentral University in San Diego, California, USA, where he earned his master’s degree in business administration. He majored in management of engineering and technology. (b)
8. In January 2016, he co-founded Vets for Trump. He has served as the group’s strategic advisor since then. (a)
9. In December 2019, he became a real estate investment specialist at Spray Rock Building Systems. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, the company is a builder of  domestic and international steel frame homes and commercial buildings. (b)
10. On November 5, 2020, he and Vets for Trump ambassador Antonio Paredes LaMotta were arrested for illegally carrying a gun outside the Philadelphia Convention Center, the vote counting center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He had a Virginia concealed-carry permit, which is not recognized in Pennsylvania. (d) He was released on $750,000 bail. (e)
11. He is a supporter of Virginia senator Amanda Chase. On November 8, 2020, she embraced him and LaMotta and said, “These are veterans who are from Virginia and who love our country and were going there to, I don’t know what they were going for, but they are supporters of mine. They are Virginia veterans of mine who conceal carry in Virginia and they’re concerned about our country.” (f)
12. On January 6, 2021, he went to the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., USA with LaMotta as his bodyguard. That day, Trump’s supporters breached the building while a joint session of Congress was certifying the vote of the Electoral College and affirming Joe Biden‘s victory in the 2020 presidential election. (g)
13. He was 42 years old when he participated in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. On January 22, 2021, he and LaMotta were arrested for their participation in the riot. He is represented by William J. Brennan. Common Pleas Court Judge Crystal Bryant-Powell increased his original $750,000 bail by $100,000 and ordered him jailed until he pays $10,000. (g)

(This is a developing story. More details will be added soon.)

SOURCES:

• a. The Pavlovic Today
• b. Joshua Macias
• c. Joshua Macias
• d. Richmond Times-Dispatch
• e. Associated Press
• f. Prince Williams Times
• g. The Philadelphia Inquirer