Investigators said Kevin Lyons admitted to entering the House Speaker’s office last week, having allegedly, posting a photograph on Instagram of a sign for Nancy Pelosi’s office with the caption: “WHOS HOUSE?!?!? [sic] OUR HOUSE!!”
Lyons was said to have expressed surprise that officers had traced the picture, which was only on the social media site briefly, allegedly telling police: “Wow you are pretty good, that was up for only an hour.”
The 40-year-old technician was arrested by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force on Wednesday in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of the city.
Lyons appeared via a telephone link from jail before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes, who issued him with a $10,000 unsecured bond relating to two misdemeanor charges of entering a restricted building without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Court documents said Lyons had “knowingly and wilfully joined a crowd of individuals who unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol and impeded, disrupted, and disturbed the orderly conduct of business.”
Investigators said his social media profiles included a “screenshot of a map tracing the route from Lyons’ home … to the Washington D.C. area. Beside it was a post that read ’ I refuse to tell my children that I sat back and did nothing. I am heading to DC to STOP THE DEAL!'”
Lyons, who was interviewed by the FBI in Chicago two days after the invasion of the Capitol, “acknowledged that he was in D.C. … but was evasive about whether he entered the Capitol Building,” the criminal complaint said.
However the complaint added: “Lyons stated that he ‘100% guaranteed, without incriminating himself’ that he saw nothing being damaged. He further stated that in a dream he had, he saw a lot of banging on doors, paper being thrown about, and a mob of people.”
Police said Lyons had expressed “surprise” that the photo of Pelosi’s office sign had been found on social media, before telling officers he could not guarantee he posted it.
Court documents alleged that Lyons told officers he still had that photo on his phone before showing them two images, as well as a video, of people walking through what appeared to be the Capitol building.
On the day of the protest, Lyons—who described himself as a tourist at the pro-Trump rally—allegedly attempted to wear a level 3 Kevlar vest but was unable to fit it over his sweatshirt.
According to the affidavit, Lyons said he entered the “big boss” office, referring to Pelosi, which had approximately 20 to 30 already inside, before being ordered out by a Capitol police officer whose “40mm” pistol was drawn.
The complaint said: “After exiting the Capitol building, Lyons stated that he went directly to his vehicle and left Washington D.C.”