GALVESTON, Texas – FBI Houston announced that agents took a Galveston County man into custody Thursday for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots.
On January 6, 2021, a joint session of the United States Congress convened at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
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During the session, elected members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate were meeting in separate chambers of the Capitol building to certify the vote count of the Electoral College of the 2020 Presidential Election. Mike Pence, who was vice president at the time, was present and presiding. As the proceedings continued in both the House and the Senate, a large crowd gathered outside the U.S. Capitol.
Police attempted to maintain order and keep the crowd from entering the Capitol, but shortly after 2 p.m., individuals in the crowd forced their way inside by breaking windows and climbing walls, some allegedly assaulting members of the police along the way.
On Jan. 13, 2021, the FBI began investigating a tip about John Lammons being in the Capitol building in D.C. during the insurrections, according to documents. In a WhatsApp chat group, several screen shots showed text conversations of Lammons talking about being inside the Capitol and showing photos and videos of him and an American flag in the background.
A Google search was conducted of Lammons phone number from the screenshots and the results showed Anaconda Jiu-Jitsu in Galveston, Texas, according to documents. It was learned that the place was founded by Lammons. He was then identified by the screen shots as the same person in the photos.
On Jan. 13, Lammons was interviewed by FBI special agents at Anaconda Jiu-Jitsu, according to documents. Lammons allegedly stated that he left Galveston on Jan. 4 and drove his truck to Virginia with a female friend. He told the agents that on Jan. 6, 2021, he took a cab to the Capitol in Washington, D.C. from their hotel where they were dropped off and walked to the Capitol. From there, he said he followed a crowd walking into the Capitol. He stated that he went inside after chaos broke out between the crowd and police. He did admit that he entered into the Statuary Hall and said there was no violence towards anyone, and there were no weapons displayed by the crowd or police that he saw, according to documents. He said he tried to push the crowd back from police.
According to documents, after about 15-20 minutes, there was still a battle at the front doors when Lammons was trying to leave. He said he left by climbing out a window to exit the Capitol because people were still coming inside. He then reportedly met up with his friend at a coffee shop. He said the friend was allegedly watching everything from the coffee shop the entire time. Lammons said he and his friend took an Uber back to the hotel.
Lammons said he was wearing green cargo pants, a gray hoodie with a black coat over it, according to documents. He showed the agent several videos that he took inside the Capitol building.
During the investigation, it was learned in other videos that Lammons was heard saying “Hold your ground.” He reportedly admitted he was talking to the agitated crowd.
Based on the evidence, investigators felt they had probable cause for charges.
According to documents, Lammons knowingly entered a restricted building without lawful authority, knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such proximity to, any restricted building or grounds when, or so that, such conduct, in fact, impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions; or attempts or conspires to do so, utter loud, threatening, or abusive language, or engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct, at any place in the Grounds or in any of the Capitol Buildings with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress or either House of Congress, or the orderly conduct in that building of a hearing before, or any deliberations of, a committee of Congress or either House of Congress; and (G) parade, demonstrate, or picket in any of the Capitol Buildings.
Click here to see a full list of people charged in the incident.