Pa. man joined in the Capitol riots and posted selfies on Facebook, feds say
Social media helped law enforcement officials determine that Andrew Wrigley had gotten inside the Capitol as part of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
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Another Pennsylvania man has been arrested for taking part in the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, federal authorities said Sunday.
Andrew Wrigley, 50, of Jim Thorpe, posted pictures and videos of himself inside and outside the Capitol during the insurrection inspired by President Donald Trump, officials said. He was arrested Friday by U.S. Marshals after authorities traced his movements through his social media accounts.
Wrigley was charged with knowingly entering restricted grounds, violent entry, and disorderly conduct.
Federal officials tracked him down after he posted photos of himself at the Capitol on Facebook, standing with a group of others. “At the protest in DC at the capitol building #stopthesteal,” read one post, which he later deleted.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, which is under the Justice Department, filed the charges. However, Wrigley was arrested by U.S. Marshals; officials couldn’t say where he was arrested.
“At the protest in D.C., I went inside the capitol building and got teargassed,” read another of his posts. He also took a selfie of himself outside the Capitol, wearing a mask and a knit cap and carrying a flag.
Efforts to reach Wrigley were unsuccessful. It was unclear whether he had retained a lawyer.
In a statement Sunday, the FBI’s Special Agent in Charge in Philadelphia, Michael Driscoll, said federal authorities continued to work to identify people who had taken part in the Capitol siege. “FBI Philadelphia is working closely with all of our local, state, and federal partners to prepare for Inauguration Day,” he said. “We are maintaining a heightened posture to monitor for any emerging threats here in the run-up to January 20. As part of that, the FBI has stood up a command post to gather intelligence and coordinate with our partners on any possible risks to the city and region, including the state capitol in Harrisburg.”
The FBI asked anyone with information to call at 215-418-4000 or go to tips.fbi.gov to submit tips about potential violence at any upcoming protest, event, or location.