(As originally published with many more pictures, Thu, June 9th 2022, 4:00 AM EDT)
WASHINGTON (CBS12) — Some folks from South Florida may get to see themselves on prime-time network television, as well as the news channels.
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol for a year is set to hold a prime time hearing on Thursday.
Authorities say many of the suspects ended up in handcuffs after friends and coworkers turned them in. Many also appeared in social media photos of the spectacle contained in this article.
The hearing is intended to show rioters at the U.S. Capitol put American democracy at grave risk, along with President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede, his false claims of voter fraud, and his campaign’s efforts to change the fact Joe Biden beat him.
CBS12 News used information from the Justice Department’s online tracker and found at least three people from Palm Beach County to the Treasure Coast — including a 67-year-old woman — have been to federal court and sentenced for what they did that day.
The arrest warrants start with FBI special agents explaining what they do, and how the U.S. Capitol building is secured 24 hours a day by U.S. Capitol police. They say there are restrictions such as permanent and temporary security barriers, and that only authorized people with appropriate identification are allowed inside.
They note, on Jan. 6, 2021, the exterior plaza of the U.S. Capitol was closed to the public for a joint session of Congress in which elected officials would certify the voter count of the Electoral College of the 2020 presidential election, which had taken place Nov. 3, 2020.
But that’s not what happened.
A large crowd gathered outside, and U.S. Capitol Police were trying to keep the crowd away while the proceedings were taking place inside.
Exterior doors and windows of the U.S. Capitol were locked or otherwise secured. Despite police officers’ efforts to maintain order and keep the crowd from entering, shortly after 2 p.m., people in the crowd forced their way in, including by breaking windows and assaulting members of the U.S. Capitol Police, as others in the crowd encouraged and assisted those acts.
The arrest warrants note, at approximately 2:20 p.m., members of the House of Representatives and Senate were instructed to dash — and did — evacuate the chambers. Accordingly, the joint session of the U.S. Congress was effectively suspended until shortly after 8 p.m. Vice President Mike Pence had remained in the Capitol from the time he was evacuated from the Senate Chamber until the sessions resumed.
Also according to the arrest warrants, in news coverage, there was a lot of video footage from mobile devices of persons present on the scene that depicted evidence of violations of local and federal law, including scores of individuals inside the U.S. Capitol building without authority to be there.
ANTHONY MARIOTTO, ARRESTED IN FORT PIERCE
One of them was Anthony Mariotto. One of Mariotto’s Facebook friends showed more allegiance to the United States government than to him and submitted an online tip to the FBI National Threat Operation Center on the very day of the riot.
Mariotto was charged with Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Entering and Remaining in the Gallery of Congress; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; and Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building.
Four days after the violence, on Jan. 10, someone from law enforcement called the person who provided the tip. The arrest warrant said that person knew Mariotto personally for more than a year. That person also said they saw pictures of Mariotto in the Capitol posted on his Facebook page which had recently been deleted. However, this person had taken screenshots of those photos and saved them before the account was deleted.
According to the report, “Mariotto is clearly depicted in the screenshot Citizen 1 provided. The screenshot depicts Mariotto in the Senate Chamber with the following caption ‘I’m in [sic] And there are just a few [sic] This is our house.’ The photograph appears to be a ‘selfie,’ which indicates Mariotto took the photograph himself, most likely with a cell phone. The photograph depicts the Senate floor in the background from a raised perspective, indicating that Mariotto was present in the Senate gallery.”
It may also have shown, through that caption, the smiling Mariotto could not tell the difference between the House chamber and the Senate.
Mariotto was identified as the person in the picture from a comparison with his Florida driver’s license picture.
On Jan. 14, an FBI special agent spoke with the tipster who said there were at least four videos of Mariotto inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. Furthermore, the tipster reported seeing video of Mariotto’s wife on the Facebook page before it was deleted.
On Jan. 16, Mariotto got a call from the FBI while in Epworth, Ga. The report said Mariotto identified himself and his address. “Mariotto admitted that he was present inside the Capitol during the riot that took place on January 6, 2021. Mariotto stated he was in Washington, D.C., with his wife and listened to President Trump’s speech after which he gathered with the crowd outside the Capitol. Mariotto claimed he thought he ‘was being part of history,’ and told the special agent that he walked through the Capitol chanting ‘USA.’ Marietta conceded he knew he was not allowed to be in the Capitol, and stated he would accept full responsibility for his actions.”
The special agent instructed Mariotto to immediately return to Fort Pierce and that “criminal charges against him were likely forthcoming.”
On Jan. 19, he voluntarily met with a special agent and turned in his phone. “Pursuant to a search warrant, the FBI processed Mariotto’s phone. Within the phone is the ‘selfie’ photograph Citizen 1 observed on Facebook, as well as other videos that were recorded inside the Capitol building during the events of January 6, 2021. After processing the phone, [a special agent] returned the cell phone to Mariotto.”
That was the six-page arrest report.
This is from the 29-page Government’s Sentencing Memorandum. The feds wanted “a split sentence of four months of incarceration, a period of 36 months of probation, and $500 in restitution.”
The Introduction section of the sentencing memos contained background information, that “Mariotto participated in a violent attack that forced an interruption of the certification of the 2020 Electoral College vote count, threatened the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 Presidential election, injured more than 100 law enforcement officers, and resulted in more than $1 million of property damage.”
According to the sentencing memorandum, Mariotto pleaded guilty to one count of Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol building.
The memo summarized what he did and then said, “The Court must also consider that the defendant’s conduct on January 6, like the conduct of scores of other defendants, took place in the context of a large and violent riot that relied on numbers to overwhelm law enforcement, breach the Capitol, and disrupt the proceedings. But for his actions alongside so many others, the riot likely would have failed. Here, the defendant’s participation in a riot that actually succeeded in halting the congressional certification, combined with the defendant’s recording of assaults against law enforcement, entry through the Senate Wing Door just minutes after it was breached, and his entry into the Senate gallery renders a significant jail sentence both necessary and appropriate in this case.”
For background, prosecutors wrote, “A riot cannot occur without rioters, and each rioter’s actions — from the most mundane to the most violent — contributed, directly and indirectly, to the violence and destruction of that day.”
Turning specifically to Mariotto, it said he traveled to Washington from his home in Florida to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally. After, he walked to the Capitol building. The document traces Mariotto recording the walk with his cell phone, walking around a police bike-rack type of barricade. Still recording, he approached a fence with a sign that read “Area Closed” seen in a picture taken from a video he recorded, with his voice saying “area closed. Yeah, right.” Then, he walked around the fence and “Area Closed” sign to join the crowd on the West Lawn.
At this point, there’s a footnote that says most of what he recorded was of the events around him so “he physically appeared in very little of the footage he recorded. Thus, the audio statements attributed to the defendant in his memo were not accompanied by actual video footage of him making the statements. However, the same specific voice was heard in many of the videos and was louder than the others, as if he was closest to the microphone.”
Then, he made his way from the back “to the front of the mass of people, directly in front of the officers dressed in riot gear and armed with tear gas, as depicted in the screenshot below, taken from a video he filmed.”
From there, and still recording, he “made his way up the stairs on the northwest side of the building, which was covered with scaffolding and tarps and preparation for the upcoming inauguration of President Biden. The defendant recorded the mob of people in the stairs, including people climbing the scaffolding.” He was quoted as saying, “no one is going to steal our f______ election.”
He entered the Senate Wing door “which had a visibly broken window and broken out windows on either side of it from the riders that breached the windows and door approximately five minutes earlier.” He was quoted as chanting “Our House” as he walked through the door while others yelled “‘welcome home, patriots,’ and a voice consistent with the defendant’s answered, ‘that’s right,’ all while an alarm blared in the background and the defendant raised his fist in triumph as seen in the below screenshot from Capitol surveillance video.”
This report said he later claimed officers waved him inside, but there was no evidence of any officers doing so when he entered.
Mariotto went to his right and through a hallway past the Spouse’s Lounge. Along the way, he tried to open multiple doors, yelling “where are the traitors?”
He walked to the Crypt just after Capitol police officers were forming a line to block the rioters. He’s quoted as yelling, “yeah, like they’re going to stop us” and again made his way to the front of the crowd. Mariotto “stood in front of the officers and recorded their efforts to contain the throng of people confronting them, as depicted in the screenshot below from a video taken by him.”
About a minute later, “the crowd rushed past the officers who quickly realized they were outnumbered and retreated into a hallway off the Crypt, where they again formed the line against the mob.” Mariotto was not accused of initially pushing past the officers but a picture from his own video showed he stood by and watched.
“The crowd filled the Crypt and followed the police to the hallway,” where some screamed “hands up, don’t shoot” and “we can breathe” as they overran the Crypt and came across a “newly formed police line near the Memorial Doors.”
For the third time, Mariotto “made his way to the front of the group, directly in front of the police line that formed. While there, other riders began saying things to the officers like, ‘just wait until we start pushing,’ and, ‘if we were Antifa, you all would be dead.’”
Mariotto didn’t say those things. He didn’t push or shove the officers. But he didn’t leave. Instead, “he continued to film the mob and their confrontations with the police. Moments later, an individual charged the police line and the entire crowd surged forward, pushing past the officers. The defendant did not follow. However, having just witnessed violence against the police, neither did he immediately leave the Capitol building. Instead, he made his way upstairs to the Rotunda, where he recorded other riders who had forced their way into that location.”
He found three police officers, one in riot gear, guarding the door, as captured in a picture from his own video.
A few minutes later, rioters breached the doors “and a massive assault on police officers followed. Again, the defendant did not participate but he stood by and recorded as depicted below.”
After watching “this second mob assault,” he still didn’t leave the building. “Instead, he moved even deeper into the Capitol into the third floor of the building. Recording his journey, the defendant walking through hallways lined with what appeared to be offices chanting ‘defend your liberty, defendant your constitution’ [sic] with a crowd of people.” And again, he tried to get inside four doors along the hallway. At the end of the hallway, he entered the Senate Gallery hallway and took that picture of himself inside, which he posted on Facebook, “where it was eventually provided by a tipster to the FBI.”
Mariotto spent about 20 minutes inside the Capitol.
As for that Jan. 16 FBI phone call before his arrest, he said “I knew you guys were eventually going to call.” The document said he admitted he was inside the Capitol, took the selfie, and deleted his Facebook account soon after. “He told the agents, ‘I’m not a member of any hate group, I got caught up in the moment.’ He further explained that he thought he was a part of history, and he did not break or steal anything. He also claimed that some of the police were ‘letting people through.’ However, when the agents asked if he was aware that police were also trying to keep people out of the building and that it was wrong to enter, the defendant replied, ‘100%.’” But he agreed to give the FBI video and photos, and said he’d take responsibility for his actions. He followed through and three days later, he gave his cell phone and unlock code to FBI agents before he was charged.
But besides phone calls, on Jan. 23, the day after he was arrested, he gave an interview to a local TV station and “reiterated his belief he thought he was doing something patriotic and claimed that ‘there were good people there.’ He stated, ‘I don’t ever advocate violence,’ and, ‘I would never hurt anybody in my life.’” He said some police officers were waving people in, but “not all of them.” He didn’t dispute he trespassed but said his “‘entry was not violent,’ referring to that allegation as ‘fake news.’ Remembering the ‘overwhelming feeling to get in there with all the other patriots,’ the defendant explained that ‘I was in the front so for all I know everyone was coming in and we were going to surround it and wave our flags and say we stopped the proceedings.’” At the end, he said he would protest differently if he had the chance to do it again.
Mariotto took the plea bargain mentioned and agreed to pay $500 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol, but still faced sentencing on a single count of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.
This is where the government described the nature and circumstances of the offense, and the history and characteristics of the defendant.
It said Mariotto had no criminal history, he had kept his job, had a wife and children, and “maintains an emotionally supportive relationship with his mother.” It said the government was not aware of any “association with extremist groups, promoting violence, or engaging in any other criminal conduct.” He fully complied “with his pretrial conditions of release and was cooperative with law enforcement. He expressed an interest in pleading guilty at the outset of the case.” And despite “recommending an appropriate sentence, the government gives weight to the defendant’s early resolution of this case.”
The next section was the need for the sentence imposed to reflect the seriousness of the offense and promote respect for the law. That was followed by the need for the sentence to afford adequate deterrence. After that, the need to avoid unwarranted sentencing disparities.
The court would have to balance several factors, and, in its conclusion, the government admitted “Some of those factors support a sentence of incarceration and some support a more lenient sentence.” The government recommended the split sentence of four months of incarceration, 36 months of probation, and $500 in restitution.
On Dec. 17, 2021, Mariotto was sentenced to three years of probation, including 250 hours of community service, $5,000 fine, and $500 restitution.
JODY TAGARIS, ARRESTED IN WEST PALM BEACH
Then, there was Jody Echevarria-Tagaris. That’s her name on Facebook. She was turned in by two people: a coworker and an anonymous tipster. And her wardrobe choice probably helped the FBI more than it kept her warm in Washington in January.
Much of her arrest report and sentencing memorandum is similar to the other. There’s an extremely detailed account of the events that took place and the circumstances.
Specific to Tagaris, she 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.
Her arrest report said, “On or about January 14, 2021, the FBI received information that defended Jody Lynn Tagaris posted a Facebook post, using username ‘Jody Echevarria-Tagaris,’ indicating that she entered the U.S. Capitol. The photo depicts a woman wearing a red Make America Great Again hat, an American flag scarf, blue jeans, and a unique U.S. Olympics American flag jacket while masked posing in a frame of a broken window next to Senate Wing Door at the U.S. Capitol with the caption, ‘The Capitol. … back at hotel safe! Got tear gassed but okay!’”
The FBI identified a coworker who the special agent writing the report said confirmed “the Facebook account belonged to Tagaris and that it was Tagaris in the photo. The coworker also advised Tagaris is known at work as Jody Echevarria-Tagaris.
“In addition to the information provided by that coworker, the FBI received information that an anonymous tipster provided the same photo to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department and identified the masked woman in the picture as to Tagaris. In conjunction with the masked photo, the tipster also provided another Facebook photo of Tagaris wearing the same American flag jacket while showing her face uncovered.”
The FBI got a search warrant for the Facebook account and saw her in a picture unmasked, “posted on January 6, 2021, wearing the same jacket, scarf, blue jeans, and hat that she was seen wearing at the U.S. Capitol. The FBI also found statements in the Facebook account made by Tagaris that she was traveling to Washington to attend President Trump’s rally and that she would be making posts to let everyone know that she was ok. Tagaris also made a post on January 6, 2021, about arriving safely and staying at the [hotel name].”
She was also seen on surveillance video as “the woman in the American flag jacket entering the U.S. Capitol through a broken window near the Senate Wing Door. The woman remained in the Senate Wing Door lobby for a period of time where she took pictures and engaged with U.S. Capitol police officers. The woman in the American flag jacket lowered her mask, displaying a face that matches Tagaris. Tagaris eventually heads down a hallway and goes left into Senate Breakout Room S139.
“The FBI got video footage from a third party which captures Tagaris in Senate Breakout Room S139. In this room, Tagaris is captured walking around and sitting at a conference table. Tagaris remains in the breakout room until Washington Metropolitan Police arrive and people are forced to vacate the Capitol. At this time, U.S. Capitol surveillance video shows Tagaris exit the breakout room and eventually exit through the Senate Wing Door.
“Tagaris is also captured by a Washington Metropolitan police officer’s body camera after she was expelled from the U.S. Capitol. Tagaris is seen in the video wearing the same unique U.S. Olympics American flag jacket and Make America Great Again red hat that was worn by the defendant while inside the U.S. Capitol.”
Then, there was her phone number.
The FBI identified her Verizon phone number with a 561 area code and that same number is listed in her Facebook account details. The special agent even left a voicemail for Tagaris by calling that number, asking her to please return the call. And the next day, a woman returned that call and identified herself as Jody Tagaris.
The FBI also got a search warrant from Verizon and confirmed her “phone was located in multiple locations that is consistent with Tagaris being in and around the U.S. Capitol.”
Now, from the arrest report to the 29-page Government’s Sentencing Memorandum, in which it requested the “court sentence Jody Lynn Tagaris to 30 days incarceration. 36 months’ probation, 60 hours of community service, and $500 restitution.”
The sentencing memo identified Tagaris as a retired secretary for a healthcare provider in Stuart, and explained she pleaded guilty to one count of Entering and Remaining in Certain Rooms of the Capitol Building.
It called the suggested sentence “appropriate in this case because (1) the defendant knowingly entered the U.S. Capitol through a broken window after it had been destroyed; (2) posted a message on Facebook celebrating the destruction of the U.S.; and (3) entered Senate Breakout Room S139, which is a room in the U.S. Capitol building that is set aside or designated for use of Senate members and staff.”
The memo repeated much of the information contained in the arrest report but added, “These statements (that she would be letting everyone know that she was okay) illustrate that Tagaris was well aware of the violence that would occur on January 6th, and chose to actively travel to Washington, D.C., to be a part of the events. When she arrived, in a Facebook post on January 6th, Tagaris proudly explained, “Arrived safely! The plane was full, not one seat. So many Patriots!”
It described how the FBI got surveillance video from the Capitol, along with what she was wearing, how she entered, how long she was in the lobby area, etc.
Near the end of her stay, “The surveillance video shows that Tagaris exited the room (in compliance with law enforcement’s demands) and eventually left the Capitol through the Senate Wing Door. In total, Tagaris was in the U.S. Capitol for approximately 20 minutes.”
Part of her plea agreement was paying $500 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol, but Tagaris still facing sentencing of up to six months of imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,000.
The government wrote about the factors the court would consider in determining Tagaris’ sentence: “Even if Tagaris did not personally engage in acts of violence, she was aware of the violent conduct of others who breached the Capitol and yet eagerly participated in the breach herself and celebrated it on social media. Tagaris’ social media posts indicate that she knew she that the event could be dangerous, and that law enforcement was actively trying to keep protesters and rioters out of the Capitol. By her own account, Tagaris had been ‘tear gassed.’”
It continued, “Tagaris also posed for a photo in a broken window frame next to the Senate Wing Door, showing that she knew the Capitol had been breached through violence and the destruction of property. She nonetheless entered the Capitol and stayed inside for approximately 20 minutes.”
This is where things get more serious: “She did not limit herself to areas of the Capitol that are accessible on days when the building is open to the public and instead entered a protected space, Senate Breakout Room S139. Tagaris only left the room when ordered by law enforcement, but she knew or should have known she was not supposed to be there and should have never entered that space. Moreover, Tagaris has not, to date, expressed remorse for her conduct. To the contrary, just hours after the destruction of U.S. Capitol occurred, she proudly posted on social media a photo of herself posing in a broken window outside the Senate Wing Doors. And she accompanied the photo with a message suggesting that she thought of her exposure to tear gas on that day as a badge of honor. In doing so, she celebrated the breach of the Capitol via the post that effectively endorsed the violence and destruction that took place that day. In short, Tagaris knew what she was doing was wrong but did it anyway — and celebrated the event afterwards.”
As for her history and characteristics, the memo called Tagaris a 67-year-old retired secretary who lives in Stuart and has no criminal history. It noted her difficult upbringing and said she moved around frequently but successfully graduated college and held a steady job for 13 years. Before that, she was involved in politics and ran campaign elections, and even ran for office in 2000. So, “With her education and background, Tagaris should have known better and should not have knowingly participated in the violent breach of the Capitol January 6 and then celebrated the events on social media.”
The sentencing memo went on about the need for deterrence to reflect the seriousness of the offense and promote respect for the law, noting, “This was not a protest. And it is important to convey to future potential rioters — especially those who intend to improperly influence the democratic process — that their actions will have consequences. There is possibly no greater factor that this court must consider.”
Perhaps it spent the most time on the need to avoid unwarranted sentencing disparities. By the time Tagaris was ready to be sentenced, a pattern had been established: “The government and the sentencing courts have already begun to make meaningful distinctions between offenders. Those who engaged in felonious conduct are generally more dangerous, and thus, treated more severely in terms of their conduct and subsequent punishment. Those who trespassed, but engaged in aggravating factors, merit serious consideration of institutional incarceration. Those who trespassed, but engaged less serious aggravating factors, deserve a sentence more in line with minor incarceration or home detention.”
Then, it discussed others who participated in the Capitol breach but many differences — “such as how a defendant entered the Capitol, how long she remained inside, the nature of any statements she made (on social media or otherwise), whether she destroyed evidence of his [sic] participation in the breach, etc. — help explain the differing recommendations and sentences.”
It tried to convince the court to do what other courts have done: “As the number of sentences in the Capitol breach misdemeanor cases increase and the pool of comparators grows, the effect on sentences of obviously aggravating considerations should become more apparent. The same is true for obviously mitigating factors, such as a defendant’s efforts to prevent assaults on police.”
“While no previously sentenced case contains the same balance of aggravating and mitigating factors present here, other judges of this court have sentenced Capitol breach defendants who spent time in other sensitive places within the Capitol. … [That] places that defendant in a more serious category of offenders than defendants who remained in hallways or central, more public spaces, such as the Rotunda. A defendant who entered a sensitive space took an extra step to occupy the Capitol and displace Congress and to display the dominance of the mob over the will of the people. That person’s presence is even more disruptive. An unauthorized individual in a private office poses a greater threat and creates a greater impediment to members of Congress and staffers just trying to do their jobs than would a trespasser passing through a hallway.”
It goes into “One of the most famous photographs from January 6 is that of a rioter in Speaker Pelosi’s office, with his feet on her desk. That photograph has become notorious likely for exactly this reason, because of what invading the office of a member of Congress represents: a show of intimidation, and attempted display of power, above and beyond entering the building.”
Then, it spent a few pages discussing several other defendants and what the government recommended versus what the judges imposed.
It concluded with the fact the court has “to carefully balance the factors,” and “some of those factors support a sentence of incarceration and some support a more lenient sentence.”
Jody Tagaris was sentenced just a few days ago — on June 6, 2022 — to 24 months of probation, 60 hours of community service, a $2,000 fine, and $500 restitution.
NICHOLES LENTZ, ARRESTED IN WEST PALM BEACH
The arrest report for Nicholes Lentz started the same way and said “at least two concerned citizens submitted online tips to the FBI reporting photographs and/or videos of an individual the FBI later determined to be Lentz inside the Capitol.”
One “provided a video clip approximately 52 seconds in length.”
“A second concerned citizen CC-2 provided another tip as a picture of Lentz from outside the Capitol, which was also posted to the Facebook account in the screen name ‘Nicholas Lentz.’ The post bears the following caption, ‘We the people did it.’”
Also in the 52-second video clip the FBI downloaded from Lentz’s Facebook page with the screen name “Nicholes Lentz,” he stated: “America has spoken. You can not stop millions of people. Cannot stop it. Can’t. It’s impossible. America has a voice. We give them the power. We give the power. The people give the power, and we’re here to take it back. [pause] There’s honestly been no violence to police officers, we’re trying our best, I’m trying my best to protect all police officers and security that are trying to maintain order. We’re not here to hurt any cops of course. I love my boys in blue, but this is overwhelming for them. There’s no way they can, there’s no way they can, there’s no way then [sic] can hold us back.”
Other screenshots from the 52-second clip showed Lentz beneath the Rotunda.
Then, around Jan. 11, the arrest report said, “The Miami Herald posted an online article titled ‘Former North Miami Beach cop went live on Facebook from inside the Capitol during riot,’ which included the same 52-second clip CC-1 had forwarded to the FBI.” The mayor ended up identifying Lentz.
On Jan. 19, the FBI went to his home in Boynton Beach where the arrest report said he admitted to being in the Capitol, that he drove up “to attend the President Trump rally, noting he had not previously attended one and wanted to show support. Lentz became aware of the rally through social media and tweets sent by the President but stated that he was aware of no preplanned coordination to breach the U.S. Capitol building.”
Also in the conversation, he noticed during Trump’s speech “the crowd starting to move towards the U.S. Capitol building. Lentz followed. He noticed a law enforcement officer handing out water bottles and telling the crowd they would need the water for their eyes.”
In addition, he said “he had no intention of committing violence or destroying anything, and he claimed he did not do so. He added he felt obligated to help control the crowd, believing the crowd was more likely to listen to him than a uniformed officer.”
Overall, he reportedly said he stayed on the ground floor for about two hours and that he wore jeans, a gray jacket, and a motorcycle cut (vest) indicating he was a veteran and former United States Marine.
Then, on Jan. 26, the special agent who wrote the report watched video from security cameras in the Capitol and “observed an individual who appears to be Lentz inside several rooms of the U.S. Capitol building, including the Crypt. Below are some screenshots of this video footage.”
Then, the special agent compared the person shown with Lentz’s Florida driver’s license picture and determined they were the same person.
Lentz was charged with Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds.
He entered a plea deal and pleaded guilty, knowing the charge “carries a maximum sentence of one year of imprisonment; a fine of $100,000; a term of supervised release of not more than 1 year; and an obligation to pay any applicable interest or penalties on fines and restitution not timely made,” but “the sentence in this case will be determined by the Court.”
The government agreed to a two-level reduction from the sentencing guidelines but again, the sentence would be up to the court.
He also agreed to cooperate and pay $500 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol.
Lentz had a Statement of Offense, rather than the Government’s Sentencing Memo, perhaps because he was not facing any other charges.
It did note the “former police officer from Florida traveled to attend the rally that former President, Donald Trump, planned to hold. Lentz crossed onto the restricted area surrounding the Capitol grounds, and then later into the building itself, without lawful authority to do so.”
It explained his Facebook photo and caption, and what he said in the video clip.
In the Capitol, “for part of the time, he carried a blue ‘Trump 2020’ flag through the U.S. Capitol.”
At the end, Lentz and his lawyer signed the document.
On May 10, 2022, Lentz was sentenced to 36 months’ probation, including 30 days’ home detention, 100 hours of community service, $500 restitution.
CBS12 also learned that besides North Miami Beach, Lentz worked for the Fort Pierce Police Department from 2014 through 2016. The department said he left short of two years for another agency.
JASON DOLAN OF WELLINGTON
Another individual detained in the January 6 investigation is Jason Dolan of Wellington. According to the criminal complaint, he used the moniker “Turmoil.”
Investigators said Dolan and 14 other named defendants, between November 3, 2020, through January 6, 2021, in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, “did knowingly combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other and others known and unknown, to commit an offense against the United States, namely, to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding, that is, the Certification of the Electoral College vote.”
In court records filed by federal investigators, Dolan and six others joined an invitation-only encrypted Signal group message titled OK FL DC OP Jan 6. Dolan drove to Washington, D.C., on January 4 and booked a two-day stay at the Hilton Garden Inn.
On the day of the attack on the Capitol, Dolan and another man joined the crowd on the central east steps at 2:21 p.m. In a flurry of messages, members of the group chat were urged to meet on the south side of the Capitol. “They have taken ground at the capital,” read one message. “We need to regroup any members who are not on mission,” to “come to South Side of Capitol on steps,” read others.
After a mob breached the Capitol around 2:39 p.m., investigators said Dolan and others joined a stack, or a column of people, to get into the building, and eventually to the Capitol Rotunda. About 20 minutes later, Dolan left the Capitol building.
The charges against him include conspiracy to defraud the United States, temporary residence of the president, civil disorder, tampering with a witness, and destruction of government property.
In the latest court filing, Dolan and six others “continue to cooperate with the government.” Federal prosecutors plan to provide a status update by October 28, 2022.
