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WASHINGTON – For several hours on January 6, Richard Michetti texted his ex-girlfriend and videos that documented his experience of “storming” the US Capitol, according to court documents. He also texted that she was a “jerk” if she didn’t believe the election had been “stolen”.
She reported him to the police the next day.
The texts were presented in newly unsealed indictment documents against Michetti this week. He was arrested Tuesday and then returned to house arrest at a residence in Ridley Park, Pa., Just south of Philadelphia, as his case continues. He is accused of obstructing official congressional proceedings – a criminal felony – as well as several misdemeanors of illegally entering a building or restricted grounds, violently entering and conducting disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
The FBI issued thousands of tips in the weeks following the descent of a crowd of hundreds of supporters of now-former President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill as lawmakers gathered to certify the results of the presidential election. Prosecution documents show that friends of suspected rioters, family members, co-workers, former classmates and, yes, exes played a central role in helping investigators identify and track down the suspects.
Michetti’s indictment papers detail how his ex gave the FBI everything it needed to build the case against him. In addition to the texts and videos, which created a timeline of his alleged involvement in the insurgency from start to finish, the ex also provided his date of birth, address, phone number and other information. on his phone.
The ex-girlfriend, who is not named in court documents but identified as a woman, went to police on January 7. The prosecution documents do not specify which law enforcement agency she contacted. She then gave a full interview to the FBI on January 11, telling agents Michetti had gone to Washington because he “believed the election was stolen from President Trump.”
The text messages she produced to the FBI began on January 5, with Michetti telling her he was getting on a train and would call when he got to Washington. At around 2:06 pm on January 6 – shortly after waves of rioters broke through the police barricades and entered the building – Michetti texted: “… it’s going down here, we’ve stormed the building. , they detained us with spray cans, tear gas and paintballs. “Three minutes later, he sent a text message confirming that he had gone to Capitol Hill to ‘stop the vote it’s a fraud it’s our country’.
About half an hour later, Michetti’s ex received two videos of him, both of which appeared to show scenes of rioting inside the Capitol.
At around 4:26 p.m., Michetti texted him: “If you can’t see the election was
stolen, you’re a jerk. He complained that the police used tear gas and pepper spray, claiming the Capitol was “public property.”
The indictment papers don’t say if the ex responded to any of her messages, but at 6:04 p.m. Michetti texted suggesting she had signed up with something he said.
“I understand your point but what I’m saying is [W1’s name] the election was rigged and everyone knows it. All we wanted was an investigation, that’s all, ”he wrote, followed by more posts that repeat the lies former President Donald Trump and his supporter pushed after the election according to which the expansion of postal voting during the pandemic led to widespread fraud.
FBI agents showed Michetti’s ex a photo of a crowd of people standing outside the Capitol, and she identified him as a man wearing a dark baseball cap with a Chicago White Sox logo and a backpack with bright blue suspenders. A blue mask is pulled down under his chin, revealing his face, and he appears to be looking at a phone. Prosecution documents show how the FBI then identified him in surveillance camera footage from inside the Capitol by matching the clothes he was wearing outside. The FBI also obtained a receipt from a hotel near the Capitol, where Michetti checked in on January 5 and left the next day.
Michetti’s lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment. He is set to make his next court appearance on March 1. He’s unlikely to text his ex any further in the meantime – one of his conditions of release is that he can’t contact “potential witnesses” while his case is ongoing. waiting.
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