Rockland Man Charged In Capitol Insurrection

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — A Rockland man is the third Hudson Valley resident to be accused in connection with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to news reports.

Christopher M. Kelly was accused after the FBI executed a search warrant on his Facebook account, Forbes reported. A criminal complaint filed Wednesday cited posts in which he said he would be with members of the Proud Boys as well as with former New York City police officers and boasted of getting inside, the magazine reported.

The Proud Boys, told last summer by then-President Donald Trump to "stand back and stand by," is a national far-right group co-founded by Westchester County resident Gavin McInnes.

Kelly is the latest in the Hudson Valley to be arrested by the FBI as it seeks to find people who broke into and rampaged through the Capitol Building as lawmakers hid nearby. Beacon resident Will Pepe, 31, was taken into custody a few days after the break-in, during which rioters hunted for members of Congress in an attempt to stop the electoral process. A Newburgh resident, Edward Lang, was arrested over the weekend.

• MTA Worker Arrested After Being Identified At Capitol Siege
• Newburgh Man Accused In Capitol Riot

A Connecticut resident was apprehended Tuesday night in Westchester County in connection with the riot, the NY Daily News reported. SEE: Ridgefield Man Charged With Assaulting Officer In D.C. Riot: FBI

Further upstate, a Rochester man was arrested Jan. 15 in connection with the riot. FBI agents alleged that Dominic Pezzola, 43, bragged about breaking the windows to the Capitol with a Capitol Police shield.

The affidavit also alleged that Pezzola and others stated that they would have killed anyone they got their hands on, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Michael Pence. The affidavit alleges that, in the days after the event, members of the group said that the group would return to Washington, D.C., and kill every single “m-fer” they could.

The FBI continues to ask the public for information that will assist in identifying people who instigated violence in Washington, D.C. The FBI is accepting tips and digital media depicting rioting and violence in the U.S. Capitol building and surrounding area in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6.

"We have deployed our full investigative resources and are working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to aggressively pursue those involved in criminal activity during the events of January 6," FBI officials said online. "If you have witnessed unlawful violent actions, or have any information about the cases below, we urge you to submit any information, photos, or videos that could be relevant at fbi.gov/USCapitol. You may also call ‪1-800-CALL-FBI (1-‪800-225-5324) to verbally report tips and/or information related to this investigation."