The investigation began with a complaint on January 16. The informant said a relative had received messages from Norwood in which he “claimed to have assaulted federal police on January 6”.
Special FBI agents in South Carolina interviewed the informant on January 16. The informant said Norwood claimed to have done “terrible things” within the United States Capitol, including assaulting the police. FBI agents obtained Norwood’s phone number and took screen shots of Norwood’s text messages.
In these messages, Norwood – who goes by the name “Robbie” – wrote on January 5, “I’m dressing all black. I’m going to look like ANTIFA. I’m going to get away with anything.”
Later, on January 7, the morning after the attack on the Capitol, Norwood wrote; “It worked … I escaped things for which other people were shot or arrested.” Also on January 7, Norwood sent a message: “The policeman shot a Trump supporter. Then he allowed ‘ANTIFA Trump supporters’ to attack him. I was one of them. I was there. [expletive]. “
Norwood’s lawyer, Benjamin T. Stepp, told the court that the group conversation included Norwood, his mother, father and sister. Norwood also texted the chat group with a selfie of himself wearing what appears to be a tactical vest for the U.S. Capitol Police.
FBI Special Agent Tanya Evanina said the vest includes markings for the Capitol Police. The FBI also found a cup holder inside the Capitol building. Norwood said he pocketed the roller coaster while inside the building. Norwood also told the court that he briefly entered the House Speak Nancy Pelosi office, but left quickly. He said that on top of someone in the office he said he was going to steal a computer.
In the group’s texts, Norwood said he helped assault the Capitol police and stole his protective equipment. When another member of the chat group criticized him, he replied, “The cops who acted shit got exactly what they deserved … Those who were nice got help.”
But Norwood portrayed parts of that story when he was interviewed by the FBI a few days later, according to prosecuting documents.
During that interview at the FBI’s field office in Greenville, Norwood said he traveled with his wife to Washington, DC, to attend President Donald Trump’s rally on the day of the riot.
He said he separated from his wife when they approached the Capitol building and admitted to agents that he entered the building and arrived at the Capitol Rotunda. He claimed that he tried to go back and leave, but failed because of the crowd.
Norwood told the FBI that he did not assault any police officers. Instead, he said, he helped protect the police from other protesters, at one point forming a human chain to protect certain policemen. Norwood said he only claimed to attack the police for “looking tough,” the FBI said.
Norwood said he did not remove the police vest and helmet from a police officer, as he claimed in the group conversation. Instead, he said, he and others who invaded the Capitol obtained the equipment from a pile of equipment that was on the west side of the Capitol building.
Norwood said he left the police vest and helmet in the Hampton Inn hotel room, where he stayed that night, according to billing documents.
Norwood told the court that he lied about the vest and helmet to agents who interrogated him on January 22 in Greenville, but reiterated other statements he made about helping police inside the Capitol rather than assaulting them.
A federal prosecutor told the court that his main concern was that Norwood was a danger to law enforcement.
McDonald ordered him to be detained, saying he was concerned that he had not been honest with the FBI, that he had boasted about his exploits on the Capitol and that he did not consider his testimony in court to be “entirely reliable”.
“I am concerned about his own text messages, his own words to his family, including his mother, saying that he had assaulted a police officer,” said McDonald.
Norwood’s lawyer, Stepp, said his client admitted and would likely be found guilty of the charges, including theft, but he argued that Norwood was not a flight risk and the maximum sentence at the time for the charges would be one year in jail.
Stepp said the United States District Court in the District of Columbia is also likely to intervene and issue some bail or monitoring to Norwood, as it did to several other high profile defendants in the Capitol riot.