Capitol Rioters Being Caught By Their Technology
Even as the domestic terrorists incited by Donald Trump and his Republican allies were ransacking the U.S. Capitol, law enforcement authorities began gathering still photos and video that the criminals were proudly posting to social media to use in locating and prosecuting them.
“Just because you’ve left the D.C. region, you can still expect a knock on the door if we find out that you were part of the criminal activity at the Capitol.” That warning from Steven D’Antuono of the FBI’s field office in Washington, D.C., is no hollow threat, as Adam Christian Johnson of Parrish, Fla. found out Friday night when he was arrested on a federal warrant.
Johnson is the man seen in the viral photo that shows him smiling and waving to the camera as he’s carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) lectern. The 36-year-old Johnson is a stay-at-home-dad who lives with his physician wife and their five children. He remains behind bars with no bond as he awaits trial.
Johnson was easily identified and located by authorities through his social media accounts. Before he deleted or took them down, Johnson’s social media accounts included posts stating that he was Washington, D.C., ahead of the riots.
Adam Johnson has been arrested. pic.twitter.com/RIuItugpqL
— Shaun King (@shaunking) January 9, 2021
“Some people were being very blatant and flippant about it, smiling for the camera — those people are going to be very easy to find,” said Doug Kouns, a retired FBI special agent and founder of the Indiana-based private-investigation firm Veracity IIR, in an interview with the Washington Post.