Former soldier and congressional candidate arrested in connection to Jan. 6 riot

A former congressional candidate and soldier was arrested in Florida on Thursday in connection to his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

Jeremy Brown was arrested on charges of “knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority” and “engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct in any restricted building or grounds” with intent to disrupt government business, according to federal prosecutors.

According to case documents filed, prosecutors allege that Brown had helped organize transportation for people who wanted to attend the Jan. 6 protest, writing in a Signal chat on Dec. 4 “We have a RV an Van going. Plenty of Gun Ports left to fill. We can pick you up.”

“If you can, come to my house anytime Saturday. You can stop by and drop stuff off, or stay the night. This way we can load plan, route plan, and conduct PCIs (Pre Combat Inspections),” Brown wrote on Jan. 1. 

“I would LIKE to depart by 0645 on Sunday morning, Jan 3rd. Push through to the NC linkup on the 3rd, RON (Rest Over Night) there, then push to DC on the 4th. This will give us the 4th/5th to set up, conduct route recons, CTR (Close Target Reconnaissance) and any link ups needed with DC elements.”

“I am willing to make adjustments all the way up until we pass your ass headed north, but it is now time to s— or get on someone else’s pot. READY? GO!!!” he added.

He also allegedly communicated on the Parler app using a @brownforcongress2020 account handle, notifying people that he could pick them up. 

It was not clear from court documents if Brown was being represented.

Authorities believe that Brown was among a group of people who took part in an organized effort to stop Congress from certifying President Biden’s 2020 presidential election win on Jan. 6. Supporters of former President Trump ransacked the Capitol and went through lawmakers’ offices as members of Congress tried to find cover. 

According to a LinkedIn profile, Brown was a former Special Forces Operations sergeant for 11 years and had ran for a congressional seat in Florida in 2020. 

According to case documents filed, Brown was allegedly more than 100 feet within the restricted area laid out by law enforcement near the Capitol while lawmakers and Vice President Pence were certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential win, according to a photo taken on Jan. 6.

The filing also reported that Brown “wore full military gear, including a helmet, radio, a tactical vest, and prominently displayed large surgical trauma shears tucked into a pack sitting on the vest,” which was almost identical to a photo of Brown that was provided by a witness who told officials that they had known the man for “multiple years.”