August 16, 2024 - WASHINGTON — A North Carolina man was arrested on Aug. 15, 2024, on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged 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.
John Joseph Carl, 41, of Pinetops, North Carolina, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, parading, picketing, and demonstrating in a Capitol building.
The FBI arrested Carl on Aug. 15, 2024, in Pinetops. Carl made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Carl is a police officer in North Carolina.
According to court documents, John Carl traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the former President's rally on Jan. 6, 2021, on the National Mall. After the rally, Carl made his way to the West Front of the U.S. Capitol building.
At about 2:00 p.m., Carl was in the front of a crowd of rioters confronting police officers near the northwest scaffolding stairs. As police attempted to make their way through the crowd, the officers became surrounded. Officers attempted to move these rioters, including Carl, back. It is alleged that Carl resisted police commands and instead raised his arms to push back against police and grabbed an officer's arm and baton.
Later, at approximately 3:05 p.m., Carl allegedly entered the Capitol building via the Senate Wing Door and made his way into the office of a U.S. Senator.
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 Eastern District of North Carolina.
The case is being investigated by the FBI's Charlotte and Washington Field Offices. Carl was identified as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #453 on the FBI’s seeking information photographs. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 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
