[ad_1]
A New Jersey naval contractor accused of being a white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer faces multiple charges after telling an informant he participated in the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill, entered the building and ” encouraged “other rioters to advance on the building, according to a criminal complaint.
Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, 30, of Colts Neck, has been charged with illegally entering restricted land, obstructing a law enforcement officer, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a building in the Capitol, demonstration in a building of the Capitol and obstruction of government activities.
Hale-Cusanelli is a member of the United States Army Reserve and a subcontractor at the Earle Naval Weapons Base, where he has a “secret” security clearance and access to “a variety of ammunition,” according to a criminal complaint and an arrest warrant filed Friday in United States District Court.
His involvement in the riots has been investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which received a clue on Tuesday that Hale-Cusanelli was part of the violent mob that entered the Capitol. According to the complaint, the confidential informant told NCIS that Hale-Cusanelli had shown the informant’s tapes “making harassing and derogatory statements” to the Capitol police inside and outside the building.
Two days later, the informant secretly recorded a conversation in which Hale-Cusanelli admitted to entering the Capitol building and urging the other members of the crowd to “come forward”, according to the complaint.
“Hale-Cusanelli said (to the informant) that if they had had more men, they could have taken over the whole building,” the complaint states. “Hale-Cusanelli also admitted to taking a flag and pole that he saw another rioter throw ‘like a javelin’ at a Capitol policeman, which Hale-Cusanelli described as a “murder weapon”. Hale-Cusanelli declared his intention to destroy or eliminate the flag and pole as soon as he could.
The informant described Hale-Cusanelli as a white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer who posts Youtube videos on a dedicated page. Ahead of the Jan. 6 event, he wrote “Trust the plan, it’s the final countdown, stay tuned to the next episode” and “Trust the plan, major announcement soon,” the complaint states. .
A man of the same name, also from Monmouth County, has been accused of stabbing another man during a marital dispute at a Freehold Township residence in 2011, according to an Asbury Park Press report.
Court records indicate that Hale-Cusanelli was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two charges of weapons resulting from this incident. The case went to Superior Court in 2012, but court records show no conviction.
Hale-Cusanelli could not be reached immediately for comment. A voicemail box belonging to his father was full on Sunday evening.
Five people, including a Capitol Police officer, were killed in the riots on Capitol Hill, where Congress met to certify the victory of President-elect Joe Biden over President Donald Trump. The House has since voted to impeach Trump for instigating supporters to storm the Capitol on Jan.6 over false allegations of stolen elections.
Brian Sicknick, the officer killed in the violent riot, was from South River. Sicknick was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.
An Associated Press review of public records, social media posts and videos shows that at least 22 current or former members of the U.S. military or law enforcement have been identified as being at or near of the Capitol Riot, with more than a dozen others under investigation but not yet named. In many cases, those who stormed the Capitol appeared to be using tactics, bulletproof vests, and technology such as two-way radio headsets similar to those of the very police they were faced with.
Local extremism pundits have for years warned of efforts by far-right activists and white supremacists to radicalize and recruit people with military and police training, and they say the January 6 uprising that left five dead saw some of their worst fears realized.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this story.
Thank you for relying on us to provide journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Samantha marcus may be achieved at [email protected].
[ad_2]
Source link