FBI arrests man who posted photo of himself with feet up in Pelosi's office

Josh Gerstein

A man who joined in the breach of the Capitol on Wednesday and posted a photo of himself on social media sitting with his feet up on a desk in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office was arrested by the FBI on Friday in Arkansas, officials said.

Richard Barnett was arrested on federal charges including unlawful entry into a restricted area, according to Kenneth Kohl, a senior prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington.

"He left a note and he removed some of the speaker's mail," Kohl said.

In addition, a man elected last year as a delegate to the West Virginia legislature, Derrick Evans, was charged for entering the Capitol without permission.

In a conference call with reporters Friday, federal prosecutors and the FBI said others involved in the Capitol takeover are also being swept up around the country.

“Just because you’ve left the DC region, you can still expect a knock at the door, if we find out you were part of the criminal activity at the Capitol,” the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Steven D'antuono, said. “We are sparing no expense or personnel or effort to root those perpetrators out and find them.”

With critics widely faulting the U.S. Capitol Police for inadequate preparation for Wednesday’s events, D’antuono also stood by earlier statements from officials that they did not expect violence from the crowd that gathered in Washington Wednesday to protest President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

“There was no indication there was nothing other than First Amendment protected activity,” D’antuono added. “We worked diligently with our partners on this."

Kohl said prosecutors have filed criminal cases against at least 55 individuals related to the mayhem at the Capitol. They include charges for unlawful entry, weapons violations and assault.

The FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department are also jointly investigating the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick on Thursday, following his involvement in the handling of the disturbances the prior day, officials said.

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