JUST IN: Blue Earth man faces federal charges for alleged role in Jan. 6 Capitol assault
Paul Orta Jr., 34, of Blue Earth was arrested in Minnesota Tuesday, joining more than 1,200 people in being charged as a result of their alleged activity during the Capitol assault.
MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Federal prosecutors continue the legal pursuit of participants in the January 6, 2021 Capitol breach in Washington, D.C.
Paul Orta Jr., 34, of Blue Earth was arrested in Minnesota Tuesday, joining more than 1,200 people in being charged as a result of their alleged activity during the Capitol assault.
His alleged crimes include a federal felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder.
He is additionally charged at the federal level with a misdemeanor offense of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Orta Jr. was photographed at the U.S. Capitol building at the time of the riot.
Prosecutors say Orta Jr. told federal investigators that he ‘wanted to do the right thing’ when he met with FBI agents at the Minneapolis field office on January 25, 2021 to turn himself into authorities.
In that meeting, Orta Jr. said he had gone past the ‘first barrier’ of the security perimeter established by law enforcement that day but denied entering the Capitol building, according to court documents.
The DOJ alleges Orta Jr. joined the crowd of rioters in pulling bike racks away from law enforcement attempting to keep the Capitol building secure while Congress attempted to certify presidential election results.
Law enforcement also claims that the Blue Earth man had thrown a dark colored object toward officers attempting to hold back the rioting crowd.
Orta Jr., told FBI agents he hadn’t thrown anything or hit anyone that ‘he could recall.’
Click here to download the KEYC News Now app or our KEYC First Alert weather app.
Copyright 2023 KEYC. All rights reserved.
