Wrapped from head to toe in fur, a bulletproof vest tied to his torso, the son of a Brooklyn judge wandered the halls of the United States Capitol last Wednesday, stopping in the confusion to give an interview while holding a riot shield.
“We were deceived,” he told The New York Post, repeating President Trump’s baseless allegations about electoral fraud. “I don’t think 75 million people voted for Trump – I think it was close to 85 million.”
On Tuesday, the man, Aaron Mostofsky, was arrested on federal charges, part of a national hunt by police to identify members of the crowd who forced entry into the Capitol.
Mr. Mostofsky, 34, is the son of Kings County Supreme Court judge Steven Mostofsky, who also serves for Shlomo. He and his father are registered Democrats, according to New York State electoral records.
Aaron Mostofsky was taken into custody by FBI agents at his brother’s Brooklyn home, according to two people briefed on the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
In a video posted on Twitter, FBI agents can be seen carrying what appear to be furs out of Mostofsky’s home, also in Brooklyn, on Tuesday morning. A lawsuit showed that he had sent a message to a friend on the day of the riot: “If we meet,” wrote Mr. Mostofsky, “look for a guy who looks like a caveman.”
Mostofsky’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The most serious charge Mostofsky faces is theft of government property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The criminal complaint said that the police vest he wore, which included body plates and side ballistics, was worth $ 1,905. The riot shield, he said, is valued at $ 256.
He faces three other charges, including illegal entry into a restricted area and disorderly conduct. He is due to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn, although the case is being handled by federal prosecutors in Washington.
Mostofsky is among the dozens of people who have been investigated by federal and local authorities since the turmoil. The Justice Department and the FBI are chasing more than 150 suspects for prosecution, sifting through tens of thousands of tips after asking the public for help to identify those who forced entry into the Capitol.
In an interview last week with Gothamist, Mostofsky’s brother, Nachman Mostofsky, said his brother was “pushed into” the building and “did nothing illegal”.
“He definitely wasn’t part of the riot,” said Nachman Mostofsky to Gothamist.
When contacted by The New York Times on Tuesday, Nachman Mostofsky answered the phone and hung up.
A spokesman for his father declined to comment.
On November 7, the day that Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s presidential election was called, Mostofsky wrote a comment on Facebook, asking “when and where we are protesting / protesting”, according to the criminal complaint.
Two months later, on the morning of the riot, Mostofsky posted a video on Instagram, entitled “Stool stop for DC on,” which appeared to show it on a bus to Washington, the criminal complaint said. The term “stop stealing” is popular with Trump supporters trying to delegitimize the election result.
After Mostofsky’s interview with the Post went viral, a friend told him in a message that he was famous. Mr. Mostofsky replied that it was a pity, saying, “Because now people really know me,” according to the criminal complaint.
He added: “But it was like I was here now, how I got there.”
William K. Rashbaum, Sean Piccoli and Sarah Maslin Nir contributed to the report.