A Wisconsin man who fled to Ireland to avoid serving a prison sentence for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has been apprehended and is now facing additional charges, according to federal authorities.
The man, aged 56, had been ordered to surrender and serve a three-month prison term for his role in the Capitol riot. He was arrested upon voluntarily returning to the U.S. from Ireland and is currently serving his sentence at a federal prison in Chicago, with a scheduled release date of September 8. However, a new misdemeanor charge could potentially extend his time behind bars.
Authorities revealed that the man decided to withdraw his asylum claim in Ireland and return to the U.S. due to feeling homesick. He had initially been arrested by the FBI in June 2022 and subsequently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to his actions during the riot.
During the Capitol attack, the man had recorded videos of the damage caused by rioters and uploaded the footage to his YouTube channel with provocative titles. Prosecutors noted that he had a history of 24 prior convictions.
Following his guilty plea, the man was ordered to report to prison by a certain date, which was later extended to accommodate his seasonal employment at a theme park in Georgia. However, he failed to comply with the revised deadline and instead flew to Ireland, prompting a warrant for his arrest.
Upon his return to the U.S., the man referred to himself as a 'political prisoner' and was found in possession of documents related to his asylum request citing fear of political persecution. It remains unclear whether the Irish government acted on his request.
His attorney from the Capitol riot case declined to comment on the new charge. The man is one of over 1,400 individuals facing federal charges in connection with the January 6 attack, with several others also evading prosecution at various stages of their cases.
