US officials said federal prosecutors have moved to drop all charges against a New York-area citizen accused of involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, after an investigation concluded that he did not enter the building.
According to Politico, Christopher Kelly was arrested January 21 in Rockland County, New York, on the basis of a federal criminal complaint accusing him of obstruction of Congress, entry into a Secret Service restricted area, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
This case appears to be the first capitol riot trial of a federal court that prosecutors have abandoned.
The charges against Kelly came after an undercover informant directed the FBI to his Facebook account, which showed him at the Capitol during the January 6 riots. in that shot.
Kelly's Facebook account also included a series of combative statements, including "We have to take this back by force now." Kelly was pictured waving an American flag outside the building. However, investigations indicated he had not actually entered the Capitol, according to a law enforcement official.
More than 450 defendants face charges in federal court related to the storming of the Capitol by a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump while lawmakers were counting electoral votes.
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