According to a criminal complaint.
Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, 30, of Colts Neck, was accused of illegally entering restricted areas, obstructing a police officer, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, demonstration in a Capitol building and obstruction of government business.
Hale-Cusanelli is a member of the US Army Reserve and hired from the Naval Weapons Station Earle, where he has a “secret” security clearance and access to “a variety of ammunition”, according to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant filed at Friday in the US District Court.
His involvement in the disturbances was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, which received a complaint on Tuesday that Hale-Cusanelli was among the violent mob that entered the Capitol. The confidential informant told NCIS that Hale-Cusanelli showed his informant’s recordings “making harassment and derogatory statements” to Capitol police inside and outside the building, according to the complaint.
Two days later, the informant secretly recorded a conversation in which Hale-Cusanelli admitted to entering the Capitol building and asked other members of the mob to “move forward,” the complaint said.
“Hale-Cusanelli said (the informant) that if they had more men, they could have taken over the entire building,” says the complaint. “Hale-Cusanelli also admitted to having picked up a flag and flagpole that observed another rowdy pitch ‘like a dart’ at a Capitol Police officer, which Hale-Cusanelli described as a ‘murder weapon’. Hale-Cusanelli he declared his intention to destroy or discard the flag and flagpole as soon as he could. “
The informant described Hale-Cusanelli as a white supremacist and a Nazi sympathizer who posts videos on Youtube on a dedicated page. Before the January 6 event, he wrote “Trust the plan, it’s the final countdown, stay tuned for the next episode” and “Trust the plan, big announcement soon,” said the complaint.
A man of the same name, also from Monmouth County, was accused of stabbing another man during a domestic dispute at a residence in Freehold Township in 2011, according to a report by Asbury Park Press.
Court records indicate that Hale-Cusanelli was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of possession of a weapon arising from that incident. The case was tried in the Superior Court of Justice in 2012, but the case file does not show conviction.
Hale-Cusanelli could not be reached for comment. A voicemail box from his father was full on Sunday night.
Five people, including a Capitol police officer, were killed in the Capitol riots, where Congress met to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump. The House has since voted to impeach Trump for inciting supporters to break into the Capitol on January 6 because of false allegations of a stolen election.
Brian Sicknick, the officer killed during the violent uproar, came from South River. Sicknick was hit in the head by a fire extinguisher, police officials told the Associated Press.
An Associated Press analysis of public records, social media posts and videos shows that at least 22 current members or ex-US military or police officers have been identified as being on or near the Capitol riot, with more than a dozen others under investigation, but not yet named. In many cases, those who invaded the Capitol appeared to employ tactics, body armor and technology, such as two-way radio headsets that were similar to those of the police themselves they were facing.
Local extremism experts have warned for years about the efforts of far-right militants and white supremacist groups to radicalize and recruit people with military and police training, and say the January 6 uprising that left five dead saw some of their worst fears perceived.
Associated Press material was used in this story.
Thank you for trusting us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a signature.
Samantha Marcus May be reached in [email protected].