Capitol-riot suspect accused of attacking police texted his girlfriend that the insurrection was 'so fun,' prosecutors say

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Capitol-riot suspect accused of attacking police texted his girlfriend that the insurrection was 'so fun,' prosecutors say
Markus Maly allegedly holding a can of chemical irritant and pointing it directly at officers.Department of Justice
  • A Capitol-riot suspect accused of attacking police told his girlfriend he had fun, prosecutors say.
  • Prosecutors said the man told his girlfriend that he and others "took" the Capitol.
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A Capitol-riot suspect accused of attacking police texted his girlfriend, who was worried about the violence, to say that the insurrection was "so fun," the Justice Department said Wednesday.

Markus Maly, a Virginia resident, was arrested on Wednesday and faces charges in connection with the January 6, 2021, insurrection, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers using a dangerous weapon, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said in a statement.

Prosecutors accused the 47-year-old of spraying a chemical irritant at police officers.

The man prosecutors identified as Maly wore a dark jacket and a piece of gray hooded clothing beneath it and sometimes donned a beanie and a white cowboy hat with "TRUMP 2020" written on the front, according to an FBI agent's affidavit, which cited footage from the insurrection.

Around the Capitol's lower west terrace door, Maly appeared to exit a guarded tunnel carrying a police riot shield, the statement said, citing CCTV footage.

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The FBI said Maly told his girlfriend, "We took the fuckin capital," and added that it "was so fun" after she said she was concerned about violence during the riot.

Prosecutors alleged Maly messaged another person, telling them he "stood his ground" against the police during the insurrection and "went back for seconds and thirds even"

"There were lots of pissed off patrios there and we wanted our voices to be heard. I myself one of them. We were there to support President Trump and the voting process. A voting process that was hijacked and stolen from us," Maly commented on a post on Facebook the day after the riot, according to court documents.

Maly's next court date has not yet been set. His attorney declined to comment on the matter.

Maly was identified after the Metropolitan Police Department told the FBI that a man in photographs of the insurrection on the FBI's information-seeking website could be him, according to the FBI agent's affidavit.

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Internet sleuths had identified him as "#JohnSprayne," according to the statement.

The FBI reviewed prior booking photos and a driver's license of Maly and matched them to the photos of the rioter, the statement said.

Over 760 people have been arrested and charged in connection with the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol over a year ago. At least 178 people have pleaded guilty in connection with the insurrection.

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