A Manatee County resident whose image was circulated around the world as part of a Pro-Trump riot on the U.S. Capitol is now in the Pinellas County jail on federal charges.
Adam Johnson of Parrish and two other men were formally charged Saturday in federal court for their involvement in Wednesday’s riot.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C. said Johnson, 36, was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; one count of theft of government property; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Federal Marshalls took Johnson to the Pinellas County jail about 9 p.m. Friday night and he remains in custody.
According to a filing from the U.S. Attorney, Johnson allegedly entered the United States Capitol illegal and removed the Speaker of the House’s lectern from where it had been stored on the House side of the Capitol building.
A search of social media sources led law enforcement to Johnson, who is seen in a widely circulated photo inside the Capitol carrying the lectern. His now-deleted Facebook page also included an image from inside the U.S. Capitol.
The U.S. Attorney announced that two others charged Saturday: Jacob Anthony Chansley, a.k.a. Jake Angeli, of Arizona and Derrick Evans, 35, of West Virginia.
Chansley is allegedly the man seen in media coverage at the Capitol building dressed in horns, a bearskin headdress, red, white and blue face paint, shirtless, and tan pants.
Evans is a recently elected member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, who streamed live to his Facebook page a video of himself joining and encouraging a crowd unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol. In the video, Evans is allegedly seen crossing the threshold of the doorway into the U.S. Capitol and shouting, “We’re in, we’re in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!”
Earlier this week, at least three other men from Florida have been charged with unlawful entry in the chaotic breach of the U.S. Capitol by a mob supporting President Donald Trump. The U.S. Capitol Police say John Anderson of St. Augustine and Michael Curzio of Summerfield are facing the unlawful entry charges.
It wasn’t immediately clear Thursday whether they had lawyers to represent them.
In addition, officials say a Florida firefighter has been placed on leave after photos surfaced of him participating in Wednesday’s violent event. Officials say Sanford Fire Department firefighter Andy Williams is on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.
These cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the United States Capitol Police.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
