ORLANDO, Fla. – Federal prosecutors have charged more people accused of storming the Capitol building Wednesday, part of the violence leading to the deaths of now five people, including a Capitol police officer, and among those are several people who traveled from Florida to Washington D.C.
The rampage has shocked the world and left the country on edge. The violence has forced the resignations of three top Capitol security officials over the failure to stop the breach.
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It’s also led lawmakers to demand a review of operations and an FBI briefing over what they called a “terrorist attack.” It’s also prompting a broader reckoning over President Donald Trump’s tenure in office and what comes next for a torn nation.
[TRENDING: Police officer dies in Capitol clash | Fla. man arrested, firefighter investigated in Capitol riot | COVID-19 variant spreading in Fla.]
The investigation into the events is ongoing and many more arrests are to come as federal and state authorities track down the individuals involved, Department of Justice officials said. Plenty of video and photographs were taken, including by the Capitol mob members, which authorities are now working through to identify people involved.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced 13 additional arrests Friday related to the crimes committed in Washington D.C. The DOJ, ATF and FBI, Capitol police and other authorities are all investigating the riot and rampage.
Below are the Florida men among the 13 new arrests announced Friday and their charges:
- Matthew Council, of Riverview, Florida, was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Council allegedly unlawfully entered the Capitol building, and when stopped by law enforcement, he pushed the officer. Council was arrested Wednesday by Capitol police.
- Michael Curzio, of Summerfield, Florida, was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. He was arrested Wednesday by U.S. Capitol Police on a charge of unlawful entry.
- Douglas Sweet, of Florida, was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; or knowingly, with intent to impede government business or official functions, engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Capitol police also arrested five others, including John Anderson, of St. Augustine.
The identities of people from Florida involved in the breach have begun to emerge in the days after the attack on the Capitol due to the overwhelming photo and video evidence recorded.
A photo emailed to News 6 has led to the identification of Sanford firefighter Andrew Williams, who was among the President Donald Trump supporters who entered the Capitol building on Wednesday. Williams has yet to be charged.
Adam Johnson, 36, was identified by residents of the Manatee County town after a Getty photographer image of him carrying U.S. Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi’s lectern inside the Capitol went viral, reports the Bradenton Herald. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Johnson was arrested and booked in Pinellas County jail.
Johnson is facing one felony charge out of D.C. and is being held on a federal warrant.
“Today’s charges are just the beginning of the FBI’s ongoing efforts to hold those responsible for the criminal acts of violence and destruction that unfolded during the U.S. Capitol building breach on January 6th,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “To be clear, what took place that day was not First Amendment-protected activity, but rather an affront on our democracy. The FBI, along with our local, state and federal partners, is committed to ensuring that justice is served. We will continue to aggressively investigate each and every individual who chose to ignore the law and instead incite violence, destroy property, and injure others.”
While more arrests are coming at the federal level, at least 40 people have been arrested and charged in Superior Court with offenses including curfew violations and firearms-related crimes.
Anyone who can help identify the people involved can contact the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously via ReportIt.com.
The FBI is also seeking digital evidence for its investigation. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit images or videos at fbi.gov/USCapitol.