ORLANDO, Fla. – A man with ties to the right-wing extremist group the Proud Boys was arrested in Central Florida Wednesday on federal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., according to his charging documents.
Joseph Randall Biggs, 37, was arrested Wednesday morning in the Middle District of Florida and is being prosecuted in Orlando on federal charges. He is charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, entering a restricted building or grounds, and violent and disorderly conduct.
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Biggs went before a judge Wednesday afternoon. The judge granted the prosecutor’s request to give Biggs a $25,000 unsecured bond.
Additionally, the judge restricted Biggs’ travel to the Middle District of Florida and Washington, D.C. He was also ordered to surrender his passport, submit to substance abuse testing and treatment, submit a DNA sample, and have no violations of the law.
Biggs must wear a GPS monitoring device and he is on home confinement with exceptions for work, health appointments and court appearances, according to the judge’s orders.
HAPPENING NOW: Special agents from #FBI #Jacksonville have Joseph R. Biggs of Ormond Beach, FL in custody for his role in the riot and assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Thanks to @DaytonaBchPD @VolusiaSheriff and @USAO_MDFL More here: https://t.co/Svkr7uHZvp. pic.twitter.com/zDmXHgHkN9
— FBI Jacksonville (@FBIJacksonville) January 20, 2021
After leaving the court, Biggs had little to say to reporters.
When asked how he felt about Joe Biden taking office as President of the United States Biggs said, “That’s the way it is.”
He was also asked whether he was at the Capitol. “I think that’s pretty obvious,” Biggs said before getting into a waiting car and speeding off.
Biggs is a member of the Proud Boys and describes himself as an organizer of some of their events, according to a federal affidavit.
That affidavit also shows several pictures which federal investigators believe show Biggs at the rally and inside the Capitol.
His arrest marks a handful of people from Central Florida who have been arrested in the two weeks since hundreds of pro-Trump supporters rushed the Capitol building with lawmakers inside certifying Joe Biden’s presidential win. Five died during the storming of the historic building, including one Capitol police officer.
Local arrests include Sanford firefighter Andrew Williams who was pictured inside the Capitol building during the large-scale riot, according to the FBI, and a Marion County man who was arrested twice.
[MORE COVERAGE: ‘It escalated so quickly:’ Videographer describes Capitol chaos | Marion County man back in custody for role in Capitol riot, feds say]
A Polk County deputy, who was not at the Capitol on Jan. 6, was arrested Tuesday for making threats online to anyone who stood in the way of the Capitol mob. “Any cop, or military, who stands in the way, is the enemy,” he wrote.
The most recent arrest comes as Biden’s inauguration, which the rioters attempted to prevent, was underway in Washington, D.C. on the very steps the angry mob climbed two weeks ago.
Anyone with information about someone who was involved in the riot can find details on how to report them here.
