Two Massachusetts residents reportedly affiliated with a “straight pride” group were arrested in connection with the Capitol Building riot, numerous sources reported.
Suzanne Ianni, 59, and Mark Sahady, 46, were arrested Tuesday on charges of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly conduct in connection with the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol Building, according to the Justice Department. Both Ianni and Sahady are reportedly affiliated with a group called “Super Happy Fun America,” a group that advocates on behalf of straight people and is known for organizing the “Straight Pride Parade” in Boston in 2019, NBC 10 Boston reported.
#BREAKING: This morning, special agents and officers assigned to #FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested without incident Mark G. Sahady, of Malden, MA, & Suzanne Ianni, of Natick, MA, for their alleged roles in connection with the riots at the U.S. Capitol.
— FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) January 19, 2021
Ianni allegedly organized buses for Super Happy Fun America to visit Washington, D.C. for the protest, which was held the same day that the Senate was scheduled to certify Electoral College votes and cement President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
JUST IN: @FBIBoston has arrested Mark G. Sahady of Malden & Suzanne Ianni of Natick for their alleged roles in connection w/ the Capitol riots.
Charges: Knowingly Entering in any Restricted Building/Grounds w/o Lawful authority & Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds #7news pic.twitter.com/NjUuUW0MQE
— Amaka Ubaka (@AmakaUbakaTV) January 19, 2021
Ianni and Sahady were pictured together in photos posted on Twitter and social media, posed on the bus and standing inside the Capitol during the breach, according to the Justice Department. One photo of them that was posted on Twitter had a caption that said “Bus 1 of 11 coming to Washington DC See you there!” according to the Justice Department. (RELATED: FBI Arrests Cowboys For Trump Founder For Rioting At Capitol)
Sahady had previously expressed his belief on Twitter that the election was stolen roughly two weeks after Election Day, and urged people to gather in D.C. to respond, the statement said.
Sahady is vice president of Super Happy Fun America and a member of a group called “Resist Marxism,” according to NBC Boston. Ianni is reportedly a Natick town meeting member, and some residents have asked town officials to look for legal avenues that would enable them to strip Ianni of her elected position.
“I don’t know that we’ll be able to force her out, but I do know that if she chooses to run again, I do know if she chooses to maintain her seat, she will not win re-election,” Ben Jackson, a resident of Natick, told NBC Boston. “We will make sure this is her final term in office in Natick.”
More than 145 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol Building riot, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened more than 170 subject files with expectations that the number of charges would grow into the hundreds.