More than 250 federal cases have been brought against individuals who allegedly took part in or helped plot the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U. …
More than 250 federal cases have been brought against individuals who allegedly took part in or helped plot the deadly Jan.6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. At least 12 of those cases were against Ohio residents identified through social media and surveillance footage to the FBI and often turned in by friends or family members. Here are Ohioans charged in the U.S. Capitol breach: Hilliard in suburban Columbus. Adams,26, was arrested Tuesday in Hilliard in suburban Columbus on preliminary charges of illegally entering a restricted building, violent and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds, and engaging in destructive conduct in a restricted building. A video on Adams’ Instagram account includes images of individuals breaking into the Capitol and statements such as, “We stormed the Capitol building and the senate today! I can tell my grandchildren I was there!” according to a federal criminal complaint. A friend of a high school classmate of Adams provided authorities the Instagram video, and the FBI used GPS data to confirm that a phone associated with Adams was in the Capitol for one hour and 47 minutes, the complaint said. Federal court documents don’t list an attorney for Adams. He was released after a Tuesday hearing with prosecutors not seeking detention, The Columbus Dispatch reported. TROY ELBERT FAULKNER — suburban Columbus The 39-year-old owner of Faulkner Painting in Columbus was arrested Jan.29 on charges that include the destruction of government property, obstruction of an official proceeding and violent entry. In U.S. District Court documents, officials provided a still photo of Faulkner wearing a jacket that bared his company name on the back while part of a mob of Trump supporters who smashed their way into the U.S. Capitol. A few days after the riot, Faulkner posted on Facebook that “we weren’t fighting against antifa we were fighting against the government,” according to the complaint. STEPHEN MICHAEL AYRES — northeast Ohio FBI arrested 38-year-old Ayres on Jan.25 and charged him with illegally entering the Capitol building after he was identified by a family member and through Facebook posts he had made before, during, and after the insurrection. According to a criminal complaint, Ayres, of northeast Ohio, and an unnamed man in a video posted to Facebook discuss how police escorted them from one end of the Capitol to the other. Police “basically let everyone walk in,” Ayres said in the video. In a separate live video, Ayres says that the Capitol breach “was just the beginning” and there was “more to come next week.” His court-appointed attorney did not respond to AP’s request for comment. ___ DUSTIN THOMPSON and ROBERT LYON — suburban Columbus Dustin Thompson,36, and Robert Lyon,27, were charged on Jan.22 with illegally entering the Capitol and violent and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Thompson is also accused of stealing the coat rack.
