Police arrest Tampa Bay man seen
carrying Pelosi's lectern






Adam Johnson is charged with theft of government property
and two additional counts.



(ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.) —

Adam Johnson, the man seen smiling and waving at the camera
while carrying the lectern of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during
the U.S. Capitol riot, has been arrested.

Johnson, a 36-year-old man from Parrish, Florida, was jailed on
a federal warrant Friday in Pinellas County, records show.

He faces charges 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 ground, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.


The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the
District of Columbia and investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office
and the United States Capitol Police.

A photo of Johnson, taken by Getty Images photographer Win McNamee,
was one of many that went viral during the armed insurrection of the Capitol
on Wednesday by supporters of President Donald Trump. The FBI searched
for Johnson as part of a nationwide effort to find and charge those who
stormed the building, according to the Bradenton Herald.


"It is alleged that on Jan. 6, 2021, Johnson illegally entered the
United States Capitol and removed the Speaker of the House’s lectern
from where it had been stored on the House side of the Capitol building,"
the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. "A search of open sources
led law enforcement to Johnson, who is allegedly seen in a widely
circulated photo inside the Capitol carrying the lectern."

The Bradenton Herald reports Johnson is a stay-at-home dad who lives
with his wife and five children. His prior criminal history includes
possession of marijuana and violation of probation charges.

According to the FBI's "statement of facts" related to Johnson's arrest,
publically available social media images and news articles aided an agent
to locate the Florida man. The FBI's National Threat Operations Center also
received a tip from a caller who claimed they shared a mutual friend
with Johnson.