Kevin Lyons allegedly traveled to Washington D.C. and took photos outside Speaker Pelosi’s office during the melee.
Lyons, 40, was arrested by agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and taken into custody Wednesday morning. The case against him is being prosecuted by authorities in Washington, D.C. In an initial appearance and removal hearing in federal court in Chicago Wednesday afternoon, Lyons appeared by telephone from the MCC lockup.
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Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes set a $10,000 unsecured bond on two misdemeanor charges related to Lyons’ alleged actions last week.
According to a federal criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday, Lyons allegedly posted a map showing a route from Chicago to Washington D.C. on Instagram with the caption “I refuse to tell my children that I sat back and did nothing. I am heading to DC to STOP THE STEAL!”
Also on the account, according to the complaint, Lyons allegedly posted a picture of a sign for Speaker Pelosi’s office with the caption “WHOS HOUSE?!?!? OUR HOUSE!!”
Lyons was initially interviewed in Chicago last Friday and told FBI agents that he was in DC but “‘100% guaranteed, without incriminating himself’ that he saw nothing being damaged” and “that in a dream he had, he saw a lot of banging on doors, paper being throwing(sic) about, and a mob of people.” According to the complaint, he initially told agents that “if he were inside, he was inside for approximately 45 minutes.”
After FBI agents showed Lyons the Instagram photo of Speaker Pelosi’s office sign he allegedly expressed surprise that they were able to find the photo because it “was up for only an hour” and eventually showed them the photo on his camera roll. According to the complaint, he also showed and sent agents videos of people walking through the Capitol building. Lyons described himself to agents as a tourist who livestreamed the events in Washington D.C. and attended President Trump’s rally, according to the complaint.
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Investigators say Lyons told agents that he mostly stayed in the hallways of the Capitol after entering through a rear door but did “enter the ‘big boss’ office” — a reference to Speaker Pelosi’s office.
In the complaint, prosecutors say Lyons told them he was in Pelosi’s office with 20 to 30 people until a Capitol Police Officer entered with a gun drawn and ordered them out. He claims that he was able to pass by “several officers with AR-15 rifles” and leave the Capitol building despite tear gas deployment on the second floor of the building. He then apparently returned to his vehicle and left Washington D.C.
Wednesday, agents at his Northwest Side home were seen carrying out potential evidence, including computers and electronic hardware. They also searched his private vehicle and a van labeled as an HVAC service.
Lyons will likely be released Wednesday. His next hearing out of Washington D.C. is set for January 19. He’s been ordered to have no contact with anyone associated with last week’s Capitol riot.
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Source: ABC7 Chicago
