Image by Richard Burton from Pixabay
November 4, 2022 - WASHINGTON — A Florida man has been arrested on felony charges, including assaulting a law enforcement officer, for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Raymund Joseph Cholod, 52, of Tallahassee, Florida, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon, and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon. He was arrested yesterday in Miami. He is expected to make his initial appearance later today in the Southern District of Florida.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Cholod was among a mob illegally massed on the Lower West Terrace and in an Archway and tunnel that leads into the Capitol Building. At approximately 2:41 p.m., he entered the tunnel. Law enforcement officers had formed a protective line with riot shields behind a set of glass doors in efforts to keep the rioters outside. Cholod advanced until he was positioned immediately in front of the police line. He pointed and shook his finger at officers and shouted, among other things, “This is our house … This is our f------ house.”
At approximately 2:45 p.m., Cholod pushed his arm and elbow into a police officer’s face and neck. Less than a minute later, he pushed against a police riot shield, then grabbed it, and attempted to pull it away from officers. Later in the day, Cholod was positioned on the steps of the Lower West Terrace, holding what appears to be a baton or stick. He threw the item towards the entrance to the tunnel, where a line of police officers was positioned.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Tampa Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Cholod as #260 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 21 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 880 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
