A member of the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 was arrested Monday after a high school classmate tipped off the FBI.
Martin James Cudo, 43, was charged with entering a restricted building with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of government business.
Cudo’s arrest came after one of his former high school classmates told the FBI that he posted a selfie inside the Capitol to social media after the insurrection.
Agents interviewed Cudo on Jan. 13, 2021 and he confirmed that he was the individual in the photo wearing a red, white, and blue “Trump 45” hat.
Cudo admitted that he traveled to DC on Jan. 4 to attend the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally before storming the Capitol. He also told agents that he acknowledged the presence of barricades near the Capitol as he approached but said that it appeared police “moved out of the way,” according to the criminal complaint.
“Cudo acknowledged making comments to law enforcement while at the Capitol but denied becoming physical with them,” the complaint says.
It is not clear why charges are just being filed nearly three years after agents questioned him and he confessed to the crime.
In an interview with the Star Tribune Tuesday, Cudo said “he is now out of custody, has an attorney but otherwise has no comment about the allegations against him.”
