Jesus Rivera of Pensacola, Florida: Google

Staff Report –

The FBI Jacksonville Field Office has taken Jesus Rivera of Pensacola, Florida, into custody for his role in the riot and assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Jesus Rivera of Pensacola, Florida: FBI mugshot

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has charged Rivera with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct on capitol buildings or grounds; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol buildings.

Rivera was arrested in Pensacola without incident on Wednesday, January 20 by special agents from the FBI Jacksonville Pensacola Resident Agency in coordination with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

“The FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights, but we will not tolerate those who seek to incite violence or wreak havoc on our established institutions,” said Rachel L. Rojas, special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division.

“We will continue to hold accountable those who were responsible the violent actions at the U.S. Capitol, and coordinate with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure safety in all North Florida communities in the future.”

The FBI is grateful to our partners at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.

We encourage anyone with information about individuals who incited or promoted violence of any kind during the siege, to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit photos and video to www.fbi.gov/USCapitol.”

Queens Man Arrested for Threatening to Murder Members of Congress

Defendant Posted Video Titled “KILL YOUR SENATORS” and Urged Violent Overthrow of Government

Brendan Hunt

A criminal complaint was filed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Brendan Hunt, also known as “X-Ray Ultra,” with threatening to murder United States officials. Hunt was arrested Thursday morning in Queens and made his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr., who ordered the defendant detained pending trial.

Seth D. DuCharme, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrest and charge.

“Our democracy depends on the legislators who shoulder the responsibility of government. By allegedly threatening to murder and intimidate elected officials, Hunt is striking at the core of our government,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “This Office will aggressively disrupt such conduct and prosecute offenders like the defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Before the assault on the Capitol building, and again after, Hunt’s alleged online commentary directly called for the assassination of members of Congress. This is not a hard message to understand –threats of violence against our public officials won’t be tolerated. Mr. Hunt was arrested this morning by the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force. To others from this area who still don’t get it – if you are considering a similar path to ‘take up arms’ like Mr. Hunt did, that road leads nowhere except a reservation at our building downtown,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.

Mr. DuCharme and Mr. Sweeney praised the outstanding work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force on the case.

As alleged in the complaint, on January 8, 2021, two days after the riot in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Hunt posted a video to an Internet-based video sharing site in which he exhorted his viewers to violence, urging them that “[w]e need to go back to the U.S. Capitol when all of the Senators and a lot of the Representatives are back there, and this time we have to show up with our guns. And we need to slaughter these m—–f——.”

The video was one in a series of statements by Hunt posted on social media since at least December 6, 2020, in which he called for violence and “public execution” against members of Congress.

If convicted, Hunt faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys David K. Kessler, Ian C. Richardson and Francisco J. Navarro are in charge of the prosecution.

Two Massachusetts Residents Charged in Connection with Capitol Breach

A Massachusetts man and woman were arrested Thursday and charged in connection with unlawfully entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Mark Sahady: Malden Police

Mark Sahady, 46, of Malden, Mass. and Suzanne Ianni, 59, of Natick, Mass., were each charged by criminal complaint with one count of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Sahady and Ianni will make their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Boston this afternoon.

According to the criminal complaint, Sahady is the vice president of an organization called “Super Happy Fun America,” which allegedly purports to advocate for the “straight community.”

Beginning on approximately Nov. 16, 2020, Sahady tweeted statements exhibiting a belief that the presidential election was stolen, and that people need to gather in D.C. on January 6, 2021 to respond. Photos posted on a Twitter account connected to Super Happy Fun America show Sahady on a bus with other individuals with the caption, “Bus 1 of 11 coming to Washington DC. See you there!”

Suzanne Ianni

According to the criminal complaint, Ianni is also involved with “Super Happy Fun America.” The complaint alleges that Ianni organized buses for Super Fun Happy America to transport individuals to Washington D.C. for the January 6, 2021 event.

Ianni is pictured alongside Sahady in the bus photo on Twitter. Following the Capitol breach, the public and media posted photos and identified people who were at the riot and entered the Capitol. Photographs show Sahady and Ianni standing next to each other inside the U.S. Capitol during the breach.

Information on charges regarding violence at the Capitol, including defendants’ names, charges, case status, and court case numbers, is availabl here.

The charge of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. The charge of disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds provides for a sentence of up to six months in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

These cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the DOJ’s National Security Division, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Massachusetts.

The case are being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division.

The ATF and FBI continue to urge the public to report suspected use of explosive devices, or violent, destructive acts associated with the recent unrest. Anyone with information can call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously via ReportIt.com.

The FBI is looking for individuals who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit images or videos at fbi.gov/USCapitol.