Months after his identity was gleaned by online sleuths working to track down the names of those who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, a Long Island funeral home director has been arrested.
The arrest of Peter Maloney – of Bayport, New York – was announced on Wednesday in a press release from the Department of Justice, which accused him of “spray[ing] police officers with ... insecticide” on at least two occasions, and also helping other rioters gang up on and violently assault persons who they mistook for news reporters.
He was dubbed #BlackBonoHelmet online by the group, which has identified other Americans yet to be arrested in connection to the attack
He faces two felony counts and five misdemeanors for his participation in the assault; the felony charges include assault of a police officer, a more serious charge than many others who simply followed the mob into the Capitol, illegally, before leaving would later receive.
It’s a far lighter list of charges than members of the far-right Oathkeepers militia received, however; leaders of that group were charged with seditious conspiracy against the United States.
FBI agents who compiled evidence against him argued that Mr Maloney’s decision to come equipped with insecticide and body armour showed his intent to commit violence before the attack even began.
His arrest coincides with a much more high-profile nabbing of a January 6 conspirator this week — Bob’s Burgers and Arrested Development fans reacted with disbelief and disgust as actor Jay Johnston, known for his roles on the shows, was arrested and charged with felony obstruction of peace officers among several misdemeanors. He was previously fired from the former show after being ID’d online by Sedition Hunters, the very same group responsible for sniffing out Mr Maloney’s identity.
Apparently indicating the limits of the Justice Department’s capabilities, spokespersons for the group noted on Twitter just last month that it had been more than two years since Mr Maloney’s identity had been confirmed positively by the website’s sleuths.
