Wisconsin man arrested, charged in connection to U.S. Capitol insurrection
Federal court documents included a photo Kevin Loftus shared on social media of him inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
An Eau Claire man was arrested Tuesday, accused of being among the mob of people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 while Congress met to certify the electoral college votes in the 2020 presidential election.
Court documents show that Kevin Daniel Loftus, 52, is charged with two misdemeanors: violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority.
Loftus made his initial federal court appearance via video conference on Tuesday, court records show. News8000 reports he was issued a release order with conditions including not leaving Chippewa or Eau Claire counties and not possess firearms or alcohol.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutor Elizabeth Altman asked the judge to restrict Loftus' travel and consider GPS motoring, saying, "Obviously, one of the concerns is keeping him out of D.C. next week," the news station said. (Inauguration Day is Jan. 20.)
According to court documents, the FBI identified Loftus from social media posts in which he shared a photo of himself carrying an American flag in the U.S. Capitol saying he was "one of 700 inside." He also commented with a link to a news story with photos of people wanted in connection to the insurrection at the Capitol, writing: "I'm wanted by the FBI for illegal entry ... I'm second from the end, bottom row."
In an interview with the FBI on Saturday, Loftus admitted to walking inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, where he took several photos while inside the building on what he believed to be the top floor, court documents state.
Loftus has a hearing scheduled for Friday in federal court in Washington, D.C., The Associated Press reports. He can participate via video conference from Wisconsin.
Loftus is one of dozens of people who have been arrested and/or charged in connection to the violence at the U.S. Capitol, which resulted in five deaths, including a police officer.
The FBI continues to ask for tips, photos and video in connection to the insurrection at the Capitol, which can be submitted here.
