Florida sheriff’s deputies arrested the man photographed carrying the pulpit of Mayor Nancy Pelosi at the US Capitol during Wednesday’s riot.
Adam Christian Johnson, 36, was arrested by Pinellas County deputies on Friday night on a federal warrant, according to an agency report, and he was being detained pending trial.
The sheriff’s office forwarded questions from Fox News to the US Marshals Service, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Justice Department said on Saturday in a statement that Johnson was accused of “an accusation of intentionally entering or staying in any restricted building or land without legal authority; an accusation of theft of government property; and an accusation of violent entry and conduct. disorderly in Capitol Land. “
Adam Johnson (credit: Pinellas Sheriff’s Office)
“It is alleged that on January 6, 2021, Johnson illegally entered the United States Capitol and removed the Mayor’s pulpit from where he was stored on the Chamber side of the Capitol building,” says the statement. “A search for open sources led the police to Johnson, who was seen in a widely circulated photo inside the Capitol carrying the pulpit.”
PELOSI TAKES AN INITIAL STEP TO TRY TO REMOVE TRUMP
The Bradenton Herald identified Johnson as the man in a photo that quickly came to attention on Wednesday after a pro-Trump crowd stormed the Capitol while Congress was counting electoral votes – a formality before President-elect Joe Biden took office .
The hours-long siege left at least five people dead, including a Capitol police officer.
Johnson, who was photographed with a hat bearing the name of Trump, is a registered voter from Parrish, Florida, although he is not affiliated with any particular party, according to Manatee County electoral records.
CAPITOL RIOT PROTESTERS, INCLUDING MAN IN THE PELOSI OFFICE, FACE FEDERAL CHARGES
He is a stay-at-home father and has five children, according to the Herald. Neither Johnson nor his family could be reached for comment on Saturday.
A pro-Trump protester carries the pulpit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi through the Rotterdam of the U.S. Capitol building after a pro-Trump crowd stormed the building on January 6, 2021. (Photo by Win McNamee / Getty Images)
Johnson’s social media posts indicated that he was in Washington, DC, before Wednesday’s pro-Trump rally, which, under the direction of the president, turned into a Capitol march.
He also shared posts condemning Black Lives Matter and police officers who defended First Amendment rights, the Herald reported. His criminal record includes a number of drug and trafficking violations.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
The DOJ said the case for Johnson and others is “being processed by the US District Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and investigated by the FBI Field Office in Washington and the United States Capitol Police.”
The FBI is currently looking for any information related to individuals identified as participating in the Capitol riot. The agency released on Friday 40 photos of people accused of breaking into the building and asked the public for help in identifying them.
The FBI also tweeted that it is offering a $ 50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for bombs found outside the Democratic National Committee and the headquarters of the National Republican Committee in DC on Wednesday.
ILLINOIS MAN CALLS TO SUBSCRIBE TO CAPITOL SIEGE HIS ‘ONLY WORST PERSONAL DECISION’
At least 82 people have been arrested so far in connection with the riot.