Geauga County man arrested for January 6 Capitol breach
More than three years after the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach, a Geauga County man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his alleged conduct that day.
According to the U.S. Attorney, the actions of 25-year-old Michael Picciuto of Kirtland, Ohio disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Picciuto is charged with felony counts of civil disorder and destruction or injury to buildings or property in special maritime and territorial jurisdiction.
According to court documents, Picciuto was identified on U.S. Capitol closed-circuit television footage entering the U.S. Capitol building at approximately 2:33 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, through the Upper West Terrace Door and carrying an American flag. After entering, Picciuto headed toward the Rotunda and entered a hallway on the second floor on the Senate side of the Capitol.
Authorities say Picciuto is captured on video overrunning one police line near the Old Senate Chamber until his progress was halted by a line of police officers who attempted to keep rioters from moving deeper into the building. I
n police body-worn camera footage, Picciuto can be seen falling to the ground and then standing up again. Rather than retreat, Picciuto stood at the front of a line of rioters that faced off with police and resisted police efforts to clear the hallway, say prosecutors.
After a standoff, the rioters and police got into a physical scuffle. Police sprayed rioters with repellent, which dispersed the crowd.
Investigators say, Picciuto continued to resist police efforts to clear hallways and was eventually directed by police into the Rotunda at approximately 3:04 p.m. Picciuto remained in the Rotunda until approximately 3:12 p.m., when he exited the U.S. Capitol through the Rotunda Door on the east side.
After leaving the building, Picciuto resisted the officers' attempts to clear rioters from the Capitol grounds and made physical contact with at least one officer. Another rioter separated Picciuto from the officer, and Picciuto soon after challenged the officer to a physical fight, yelling expletives and stating, "Take it off, b—Take the f— armor off.”
Later, according to authorities, Picciuto can be seen breaking apart, pouring water, and stomping on media equipment belonging to the Associated Press.
In addition to the felonies, Picciuto is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, act of physical violence on Capitol grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Picciuto was arrested by the FBI in Kirtland. During his initial appearance in a federal courtroom in Cleveland, his bond was set at $20,000.
In the 36 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,265 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony.
Nine residents from the Valley have been convicted on charges stemming from January 6. Two are serving prison time.