SPRINGFIELD, Missouri (KY3) – Authorities arrested a Rogersville man wanted for taking part in an operation and breaking into the United States Capitol on January 6.
Zachary Martin faces federal charges of being on restricted buildings or grounds, illegal activities on Capitol grounds and disorderly conduct and demonstrations on Capitol Hill.
FBI agents and local officials arrested Martin at around 1 pm near US 65 and Battlefield Road. The FBI tells KY3 that he was arrested without incident.
On January 6, a crowd of people in support of then President Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol building, interrupting while Congress worked to certify the votes of the Electoral College in the 2020 presidential elections. A policeman was injured in the riot, one woman was shot to death in the capital and three others died in medical emergencies.
According to court documents, the FBI received a tip later that day that Martin had entered the US Capitol on January 6 and “broadcast live” a public video of himself inside the building on his personal Facebook account.
One person sent screenshots of content that circulated online to the FBI, including a screenshot from a live video that apparently showed Martin. Special FBI agents interviewed five people who claim to have seen parts of the video on Facebook.
According to court documents, Martin’s Facebook account was deleted sometime between January 6 and 13. During that time, an FBI employee accessed Facebook, but was unable to find an active account that belonged to Martin. FBI personnel also searched the Missouri Department of Revenue database on Jan. 12 for a photograph of Martin’s driver’s license.
Eventually, the FBI found public conversations on Facebook discussing the video of the live broadcast, which provided a link. Although the link was no longer active, the FBI investigated it and noticed a unique Facebook user identification number (“UID”).
Facebook records confirmed that Facebook’s UID was registered with the intuitive name “Zac Martin” and associated with a phone number provided by one of the respondents.
On January 17, the FBI also analyzed a photo attributed to a New York Times article, which showed Congresswoman Chisholm’s picture. According to court documents, investigators determined that the painting was consistent with the view in Martin’s video, so he had a likely reason for arresting him.
Martin is at least the second Missouri resident to face charges in the operation. Emily Hernandez, of Sullivan, Missouri, surrendered after being identified in a photo with a chipped nameplate belonging to Mayor Nancy Pelosi.
Webster County sheriff Roye Cole helped the FBI locate Martin by offering information after working on a DWI case about Martin a few weeks ago.
Authorities arrested Martin at Greene County Jail at around 3 pm. He is being held without bail. The FBI is handling the investigation.
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