Florida man pictured with Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during Capitol riots is arrested

A man photographed carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern through the halls of the US Capitol has been charged, according to law enforcement records.

Adam Johnson, 36, of Parrish, Florida, is being held in Pinellas County Jail following his alleged involvement in the riots at the US Capitol on 6 January. He was booked into jail at 9pm on Friday and has been held there under a US Marshall's warrant.

He was charged with “one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; one count of theft of government property; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” according to a statement released by the FBI. 

An image of a man grinning and waving at cameras while holding Ms Pelosi’s lectern went viral on social media. The man, identified by local newspaper The Bradenton Herald and other news outlets as Mr Johnson, was wearing a Donald Trump beanie hat.

Mr Johnson is married to a physician and has five children, Florida’s WFLA News Channel 8 reports. The man is a registered voter with no party affiliation, but he has voted in the general elections from 2004 to 2020. He has previously faced charges of possession of marijuana and violation of probation, The Bradenton Herald reports. 

On the day of the riots, Mr Johnson reportedly shared multiple images of himself at the US Capitol. His account has since been deleted.

The case will be prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the United States Capitol Police, the statement said. 

The arrest comes after the FBI called on the public to share any images or information from the Capitol riots to help identify offenders. 

Authorities have since made several arrests in states across the country. Richard Barnett, 60, from Gravette, Arkansas, was one individual who allegedly entered the Capitol building and has since been arrested, according to the Justice Department. 

Mr Barnett was pictured during the riot with his feet up on Ms Pelosi’s desk. Another image showed him holding the lawmaker’s mail. He has been charged with theft of public property and other offenses. 

Derrick Evans, a West Virginia Republican state lawmaker, has also been charged. He shared several images and videos of himself outside the Capitol and then walking into the building. 

Jacob Anthony Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, of Arizona was another man arrested and charged for the riots. He is allegedly the man seen in viral images of the riots wearing  in horns, a bearskin headdress, and face paint. Federal authorities charged him with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, among other offences. He was taken into custody on Saturday, the FBI said in a statement. 

The FBI investigation is ongoing and more people will likely face charges for their involvement in the riots.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike have called for those involved in the riots to face criminal prosecution to the full extent of the law. 

Offenders could see a variety of charges such as trespassing and damaging federal property, along with possibly more serious offenses involving firearms and explosive devices.