The Justice Department has charged a soldier in the Wisconsin National Guard for storming the US Capitol building during the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
Abram Markofski, along with an associate, is alleged to have travelled to Washington DC to attend a rally held by then-president Donald Trump.
The rally was held in protest of the certification of the 2020 presidential election, which saw Democrat and now-president Joe Biden beat his Republican rival.
Investigators say that after the so called ‘Save America’ rally held on the Ellipse between the White House and Washington Monument, Markofski and associate Brandon Nelson walked to the Capitol building.
Once there, they are alleged to have spent around 40 minutes inside the Capitol building as it was raided by MAGA Trump supporters.
Nelson was initially identified by an anonymous tipster, and he in-turn confirmed Markofski’s presence after they were both allegedly shown in surveillance footage inside the building wearing red MAGA hats.
In an image released by the Department of Justice, Wisconsin National Guard soldier Abram Markofski (right) and his associate Brandon Nelson (left) are allegedly shown inside the US Capitol building during the January 6, 2021 insurrection
Markofski has been charged with four federal crimes, including violent entry and disorderly conduct in the grounds of the Capitol Building, ‘with the intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb orderly conduct of a session of Congress’, the charges state.
The Wisconsin National Guardsman has not yet entered a plea, according to CNN.
Maj. Joe Trovato, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin National Guard, told the network that Markofski enlisted in 2019, and that he is currently a private first class assigned to the 1st Battalion, 128 Infantry Regiment. Trovato made no further comment.
According to the ‘Statement of Facts’ from the Department of Justice, an anonymous tip was given to the FBI on January 7, that identified Nelson as being part of the MAGA mob on January 6, 2021.
On January 18, FBI special agents interviewed Nelson, who told them that he had traveled with his friend Markofski in a vehicle from Madison, Wisconsin on January 5 to attend the Trump rally the following day, according to the document.
Nelson told officers that after first attending the rally, the pair walked down to the Capitol, walked up the stairs near some scaffolding, and entered the building.
He also reportedly told FBI agents that some police were guiding some people in.
Abram Markofski (left) and Brandon Nelson (right) seen inside the US Capitol building on January 6, according to the FBI
Once at the US Capitol, the pair are alleged to have spent around 40 minutes inside the Capitol building as it was raided by MAGA Trump supporters. Pictured: Police clash with supporters of US President Donald Trump who breached security and entered the Capitol building in Washington D.C., United States on January 06, 2021
Nelson stated that he and Markofski ‘entered a room inside the Capitol with a dome-like ceiling. They were in there for approximately 20 minutes, then followed the crowd into another room,’ the document says.
In all, the pair were estimated to have been inside the building for around 40 minutes, Nelson told the FBI.
According to pictures from the Statement of Facts, the pair were both captured in surveillance footage as being inside the building wearing MAGA hats, with the FBI saying they were able to identify the pair by their coats and driving licenses.
A mobile phone belonging to Markofski was also tracked to the Capitol building using GPS data and nearby WiFi access points.
‘The tipster identified Nelson from his driver’s-license photo with 100% certainty, and identified the person in one of the photos from inside the Capitol as NELSON with 75% certainty,’ the document says.
According to pictures from the Statement of Facts, the pair were both captured in surveillance footage as being inside the building wearing MAGA hats, with the FBI saying they were able to identify the pair by their coats and driving licenses. Pictured: An explosion caused by a police munition is seen in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S., January 6, 2021
‘According to records obtained through a search warrant served on Google, a mobile device associated with an email address tied to a phone number Markofski is known to use was present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,’ it added.
Markofski becomes one of a around 30 current of former service members charged in connection to the January 6 insurrection attempt, according to court documents and Pentagon records, seen by CNN.
The network reports the majority of the group are veterans, many of whom served in Iraq and Afghanistan, but Markofski and a number of others are still in service.
Another trend seen among the former service members allegedly involved in the January 6 riots si that a number of them have ties to right-wing extremist groups, such as Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys.
In the 100 days since the January 6 riots, police have arrested and charged over 400 people for their role in the riots.
Investigators say that after the so called ‘Save America’ rally (pictured on January 6) held on the Ellipse between the White House and Washington Monument, Markofski and Brandon Nelson walked to the Capitol building
The rioters stormed the Capitol after Trump’s ‘Stop The Steal’ rally and during a vote to certify the Electoral College count which declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 Presidential Election.
The attacks at the Capitol led to the deaths of five people, and sent lawmakers into hiding and delayed the certification of Biden’s election win.
Many of those who have been arrested and charged were tracked down through viral videos that led investigators to identify them on their social media accounts.
