US

Man Seen In Viral Photo Carrying Pelosi’s Podium Is Arrested

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Chuck Ross Investigative Reporter
Font Size:

The Trump supporter seen taking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern from the U.S. Capitol during a riot there earlier this week was arrested Friday night in Florida, according to jail records.

Adam Johnson, 36, was booked into jail in Pinellas County in Florida on Friday night, according to county records.

He is being held at the request of the U.S. Marshal Service.

Johnson is charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted area, one count of theft of government property, and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C. announced on Saturday.

“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,” prosecutors said in a press release.

Johnson was photographed by a Getty Images photographer smiling as he carried Pelosi’s lectern at the Capitol. Johnson was part of a mob of Trump supporters who breached the Capitol on Wednesday as lawmakers were voting to certify the results of the Electoral College.

Johnson’s photo went viral in part because of confusion about his name. Politico reporter Ryan Lizza tweeted the photo with the caption “Via Getty,” a reference to the outlet that took the photograph. Some social media users assumed that Johnson’s name was “Via Getty.”

Johnson appears not to have left the Capitol grounds with Pelosi’s lectern. FBI special agent Michael Jeng said in an affidavit that staff for Pelosi said that her lectern was stored in her suite under a staircase to the House side of the Capitol building.

Jeng said that the lectern was found by a Senate staffer in a corridor in the Senate side of the Capitol building.

“According to the House of Representatives’ curator, the Speaker’s lectern has a market value of more than $1,000,” Jeng said in the affidavit.

According to The Tampa Bay Times, Johnson will appear in court on Monday for arraignment.

The FBI had put out requests for information on people spotted in the Capitol building. Several other mob participants have been arrested, including, Richard Barnett, an Arkansas man photographed sitting at Pelosi’s desk. (RELATED: FBI Seeking Tips To Identify Members Of Mob Who Stormed Capitol)

Johnson is married with five children, according to The Tampa Bay Times. His social media accounts, before he deleted them, showed he supports President Trump and has criticized the Black Lives Matter movement.

Five people died during Wednesday’s chaos, including Capitol police officer, Brian D. Sicknick. Sicknick was reportedly struck in the head with a fire extinguisher and later died.

Ashli Babbit, a Trump supporter from San Diego, died after a Capitol police officer shot her as she attempted to enter a barricaded portion of the building. Babbit was a 14-year Air Force veteran.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.