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January 31, 2024 – WASHINGTON — A New Jersey man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct 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 2020 presidential election.
Lee A. Giobbie, 40, of Eastampton, New Jersey, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding. In addition to the felonies, Giobbie is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Giobbie was arrested on Tuesday in New Jersey and will make his initial appearance in the District of New Jersey.
According to court documents, Giobbie was identified on open-source video as present among other rioters near a line of bike rack barricades established on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Giobbie wore a black leather jacket, a green-knitted Eagles stocking cap, blue jeans, white and gray sneakers, black gloves, a black backpack, and carried a white and red bullhorn.
Court documents say that Giobbie can be heard in an open-source video repeatedly shouting, "Move the gates!" before the bike rack barricades in this area were breached. Giobbie is then captured in video footage walking toward other rioters while they were violently pushing against the bike rack barricades and the police. He repeatedly stated, "We're going in," and "The gates have been breached."
After other rioters had pushed past police, Giobbie moved a barricade and entered the portion of the Capitol grounds that were cordoned off and restricted from public access. He then walked by police in riot gear and was one of the first rioters to the Central steps of the Capitol building as police fell back and formed a new defensive line. Giobbie then turned, faced the crowd, shouted "Stop the steal" through a bullhorn, and led chants of "USA" on the Central steps. He then faced police on the steps and shouted, "Push, push, push, push," while standing one row back from other rioters who were pushing against the police line. Additionally, Giobbie can be seen in an open-source video pushing against other rioters who were, in turn, pushing against the police line. He then rushed by the police line toward the Rotunda Doors after the police line broke and a huge mass of rioters rushed up the Central steps.
Near the Rotunda Doors, Giobbie shouted into the bullhorn, "We need something to break the door down!" During a confrontation with police outside the doors, a United States Capitol Police officer is seen grabbing Giobbie's left arm. Giobbie then pushed the officer's arm away and used his left forearm to push against the officer's riot shield.
Police repeatedly attempted to clear the rioters from the Rotunda Doors. In spite of that, Giobbie was one of the first rioters to breach the Capitol via the Rotunda Doors within minutes after other rioters first breached it, aggressively pushing his way through the doors as police were actively trying to defend it.
Once inside the Capitol, Giobbie made his way to the Rotunda, the Small Senate Rotunda, and was briefly detained by a police officer in a hallway. He then walked to the northwest side of the building and exited through the Senate Wing Door, leading out to the Northwest Courtyard.
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 District of New Jersey.
This case is being investigated by the FBI's Newark and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 36 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,265 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. 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.
Source: DOJ Release
