The owner of a Victorville gym known for defying state blocking orders during the COVID-19 pandemic was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion that he was part of the violent US Capitol raid by supporters of former President Trump.
Jacob Lewis faces two crimes: entering the restricted areas of the Capitol and entering with violence and disorderly conduct. After his arrest at his home on Tuesday morning, a United States judge authorized Lewis’s release on $ 50,000 bail and demanded that he use an electronic monitor while awaiting future court appearances.
Lewis was captured in several photos taken during the January 6 attack on the Capitol, in which Trump supporters stormed the building trying to prevent Congress from certifying President Biden’s victory over Trump in the November election, according to the criminal complaint. The photos showed him moving through the building’s corridors and past the doors of the building’s Senate wing, prosecutors alleged in lawsuits.
Two days after the riot, in which five people died, authorities received a tip from someone who revealed that Lewis had posted videos on Instagram from inside the Capitol. A second informant then reported that in December Lewis showed them pictures of the firearms he allegedly owned and asked how to buy ammunition, according to court documents. At the time, Lewis warned the person to “watch what happens to the Capitol on January 6,” prosecutors said.
Lewis, 37, has become a well-known figure in circles that opposed strict measures imposed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus. In May, he reopened his gym at a time when state rules had closed the exercise facility. Lewis argued that he should be allowed to open because gyms were essential to people’s physical and mental health. His challenge was highlighted in several news stories.
When he was interrogated by FBI agents on January 15, prosecutors said, Lewis acknowledged that he entered the Capitol, but said he was never told he could not be allowed to do so, despite the hundreds of police officers who were stationed around building and struggled to keep the crowd out. Lewis said in the interview that he was “escorted” to the building by police and denied being involved in any type of violence, according to a complaint.
Lewis is the last person in Southern California to be accused of participating in the attack on the Capitol. FBI agents swept a heterogeneous group of characters known locally for their opposition to pandemic orders and support for Trump. They include a Beverly Hills beautician, a Beverly Hills medical concierge, an aspiring actor and the grandson of the former mayor of Glendora.
On Friday, FBI agents arrested a Federal Aviation Administration official who lives in Beaumont on charges of participating in the siege. Nationally, more than 150 people have been indicted in connection with the riot and more charges are expected.
And in Orange County on Tuesday, FBI agents raided the Ladera Ranch home of a businessman known for leading efforts to oppose state blocking orders and help organize pro-Trump demonstrations after the election. Investigators found an unknown number of weapons during the search, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
Authorities refused to identify the man, but property records and neighbors identified him as Russ Taylor, an avowed conservative activist who led anti-mask protests and pro-Trump rallies in Orange County. No arrests were made in connection with the search.
Taylor on Tuesday did not return calls for comment. In a social media post two weeks ago, he acknowledged being at the rally, but denied entering the Capitol. In the post, Taylor also defended an elementary school teacher from the Capistrano Unified School District, Kristine Hostetter, who was examined after her parents complained that they saw images of her marching on the Capitol.
“Left communists are in full development [assault] about American freedoms. I was there with Kris Hostetter. She never set foot in the capitol building, ”he wrote. Lewis added that “desperate people are making false claims, spreading rumors and contacting authorities based on their vengeful and toxic behaviors”.
“As we approached the crowd, Kris saw that it was already in total chaos, turned and immediately returned to his hotel room. Not only did we not enter the building, she never set foot outside the Capitol grounds. “
Times staff writer Michael Finnegan contributed to this report.