The FBI arrested a Jan. 6 rioter after a conversation the man had with his Uber driver the night of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to court records that were unsealed on Tuesday.
On the evening of Jan. 6, 2021, just after 7 p.m. a Trump supporter hopped into the back of an Uber in downtown Washington, D.C., about a mile northwest of the U.S. Capitol.
The man, who had suffered an eye injury, bragged about his participation in the attack and the mob that stormed the federal building. However, what he failed to realize that his confession was captured on the Uber driver's dashcam and the footage was subsequently turned over to the FBI, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed Tuesday.
'I Tore Down the Barricades'
"So, has it been violent all day?" the driver asked.
"Well, it started around, right when I got there. I tore down the barricades," the man replied.
"You did?" the driver asked. "Why?"
"Well, because, so we could get to the Capitol," the man replied.
"Well, how'd that work out for ya?" the driver asked.
"Well," he replied, "it looks like, uh, Biden's gonna be our president."
Man Identified as Jerry Daniel Braun, Arrested by FBI Last Month
Fifteen months later, the FBI says the passenger was identified Jerry Daniel Braun, who is now facing federal charges. Braun was arrested by the FBI in California earlier this month and faces charges of obstruction during civil disorder, entering and remaining on restricted grounds, and violent or disorderly conduct.
The Uber driver took the man across the river to a Holiday Inn in Arlington, Virginia, where Braun was checked in under the name J.D. Braun, according to the court filing.
The FBI's cause was helped by a group of online sleuths who also played a significant role in identifying Braun, after spotting a business card jutting out of his jacket pocket during the riot. The information was later submitted to the FBI.
The FBI said the bureau reviewed the business card image poking out of Braun's pocket and found that it also listed a web address for "ShotGunShock" and read, "Ask for JD," the affidavit said.
Video footage from the Capitol riot shows Braun "physically struggling with law-enforcement officers using a barricade," the FBI affidavit stated. Braun was also videoed using a wooden plank to strike a photographer wearing a "PRESS" helmet, the affidavit said.
The FBI served a search warrant of Braun's residence in South El Monte, California, in November 2021, and Braun confessed he'd been in Washington at the Capitol attack.
