Chicago man, 62, charged in Capitol Riot, allegedly took pictures in Capitol during breach
CHICAGO - A Chicago man has been charged in connection to the Capitol Riot that took place in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.
According to a criminal complaint filed in court Monday, Lawrence Ligas, 62, is accused 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 and parading, demonstration or picketing in a Capitol building.
He is now the 16th person from Illinois to be charged in the Jan. 6 attack.
Exhibit provided by Department of Justice
The FBI received a tip from an individual who stated that Ligas was quoted in an NPR article entitled, "Trump Supporters Storm U.S. Capitol, Clash with Police." According to the criminal complaint, Ligas was quoted in the article saying, "We're not moving on… We are not Republicans. We are the MAGA party. We are patriots."
After obtaining a search warrant, investigators said they were able to determine that a mobile device associated with Ligas was present at and inside the Capitol on Jan. 6.
During the investigation, authorities also discovered a YouTube video titled, "Lots of cops downtown Washington DC" that was livestreamed on Jan. 5, 2021, that allegedly showed an individual who is believed to have been Ligas.
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The individual who alerted the FBI of Ligas also viewed video footage from inside the Capitol and believed that Ligas was seen wearing a red hat that read "Make America Great Again," a blue jacket, a light blue surgical mask, beige and black hiking-style shoes and a blue scarf with white stars around his neck. Investigators said the scarf seen in footage inside the Capitol is also consistent with the scarf seen in the YouTube video mentioned above.
Exhibit provided by Department of Justice
Investigators also found photographs on Ligas' google account that were timestamped on Jan. 6 and showed a large group of people standing outside the doors of the Capitol.
Records also indicate that Ligas flew out of Midway International Airport in Chicago on Jan. 5 and arrived at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, VA the same morning. Records also show that Ligas flew back to Chicago on Jan. 7.
The Illinois Democratic Party released a statement calling for Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Darren Bailey to cut alleged ties with Ligas, saying, "Darren Bailey must immediately denounce Mr. Ligas and revoke any and all association with him at once. The governor’s office is no place for associates of traitors to this great nation."
Exhibit provided by Department of Justice
But the Bailey campaign denied being involved with him.
"We're shocked by this news and we do not condone any illegal activities. He has never been a member of our campaign staff," said a campaign spokesperson.
Ligas appeared in court Wednesday at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
In response to the charges, Ligas said in an email:
"Chicago is dealing with a pandemic of violent crime, egregious corruption, and the US Justice Department is chasing down law-abiding Patriots."
Although he was released on his own recognizance, Ligas has to surrender his passport and can't leave Illinois without permission, pending his next court date on Dec. 7
If he's convicted, each charge carries a maximum of 6 months to one year in prison.
Exhibit provided by Department of Justice
Exhibit provided by Department of Justice
Exhibit provided by Department of Justice
Exhibit provided by Department of Justice