Federal prosecutors on Saturday announced charges against a West Virginia lawmaker, a man who allegedly stole House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s podium, and the face-painted man who wore a horned hat and stood at the Senate dais for their alleged roles in this week’s violent riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The latest round of criminal charges brings the total number of people to face federal prosecution for storming the Capitol to 16. That number is expected to rise as investigators work to identify members of the mob, many of whom bragged on social media about their involvement.
Prosecutors on Friday unsealed charges against three individuals, including the Arkansas man who claimed to have posed for photos with his feet on the desk of Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, and an Alabama man whose truck allegedly had 11 Molotov cocktails and a semiautomatic weapon.
“Just because you’ve left the D.C. region, you can still expect a knock on the door if we find out you were part of criminal activity in the Capitol,” FBI official Steven D’Antuono told reporters at a press briefing.
Among the three individuals charged in Washington on Saturday was Derrick Evans, a West Virginia Republican state lawmaker, who recorded himself storming the Capitol.
A member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, Mr. Evans, 35, was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted grounds without lawful authority; one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct.
Mr. Evans was arrested Friday, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Prosecutors say he livestreamed himself encouraging the crowd to unlawfully raid the Capitol. In the video, Mr. Evans is allegedly seen crossing the building’s doorway and screaming, “We’re in, we’re in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!”
After his arrest Saturday, Mr. Evans resigned from the West Virginia House of Delegates, saying he takes “full responsibility for my actions.”
“The past few days have certainly been a difficult time for my family, colleagues and myself, so I feel it’s best at this point to resign my seat in the House and focus on my personal situation and those I love,” Mr. Evans said.
Jake Angeli, of Arizona, also known as Jacob Anthony Chansley, was identified as the shirtless man wearing a horned hat and red white and blue facepaint inside the Senate chamber. He was also seen carrying a six-foot spear with an American flag tied to the blade.
He is charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry, and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds.
Mr. Angeli was arrested Saturday, the Justice Department said.
The Arizona Republic reported this week that Mr. Angeli is a familiar face at pro-Trump rallies and a purported supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which asserts President Trump is working to save America from a cabal of deep-state satanic pedophiles.
Mr. Angeli was photographed holding a sign that read, “Q Sent Me,” during a pro-Trump rally in February, according to the paper.
Adam Johnson, 36, the man who was seen smiling and waving at the camera while carrying Ms. Pelosi’s lectern, was arrested Saturday, according to the Justice Department.
He faces charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful entry, one count of theft of government property and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on the Capitol ground.
Mr. Johnson has a prior criminal history, including marijuana and probation violation charges, court records revealed.
The lectern was later recovered undamaged, The Washington Post reported this week.
It was stored on the day of the Capitol insurrection in the Speaker’s Suite, located under a staircase on the third floor of the House side of the Capitol building, the FBI said. A day later it was found in a corridor on the Senate side of the building.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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