The Florida man who allegedly stole House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during the U.S. Capitol riot last week, was released on $25,000 bail Monday after appearing before a federal judge in Tampa.
Adam Johnson, 36, who became known on social media as the “Podium Guy,” has been charged with three felonies related to the breach of the Capitol building by supporters of President Donald Trump.
He’s 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. Johnson was arrested Friday night.
Johnson was released on conditions that his wife co-sign his $25,000 bond and that he abides by a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew with GPS monitoring. He also was ordered to surrender all firearms and other dangerous weapons and any travel documents including his passport.
His travel will be restricted to the Middle District of Florida and Washington, D.C. – the latter only for court matters. He is also required to submit to substance abuse testing and evaluation as determined appropriate by pretrial services.
Johnson’s next appearance is scheduled for Jan. 19 in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
According to the FBI, Johnson illegally entered the Capitol Building and removed the Speaker’s lectern from where it had been stored on the House side of the building. A search of open sources, including Getty Images, led law enforcement to Johnson.
In the photo, the large seal with the words “Seal of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives 1789” was visible on the lectern. It was widely circulated on social media with online commentary that the image was taken during the breach of the Capitol building.
The individual in the picture appeared to have red facial hair, wearing a gray jacket, blue knit cap with white lettering and a backpack. The hat said “Trump” and “45.”
He was seen walking within the rotunda of the Capitol with the lectern.
On Jan. 6, an individual called the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center to report that the man seen in the Getty Images photo was named Adam Johnson.
The caller claimed Johnson was a resident of Bradenton, and that he shared a mutual friend with Johnson.
An FBI inquiry on government databases revealed that there is an individual named Adam Johnson associated with residences in two cities in Florida: Bradenton and Parrish.
A search of the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles turned up Adam Johnson’s license photograph. By comparing the image to the Getty Images photo, the FBI determined it was the same man.
The FBI consulted with members of Pelosi’s staff and was told that before the forced entry, the lectern was stored in the Speaker’s Suite under a staircase to the third floor on the House side of the Capitol building.
The lectern was found by a member of the Senate staff in the Red corridor of the Senate wing off the Rotunda in the Capitol building. The market value of the stand is $1,000, according to the House of Representatives’ curator.
Follow Carlos Munoz on Twitter: @ReadCarlos.
2021-01-11 17:17:41
