EPHRATA, Pa. — Note: The video is from July 10.
A 35-year-old Lancaster County man has been charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot at the United States Capital Building, according to charging documents.
According to a criminal complaint submitted to U.S. District Court in Washington, DC by the FBI, Samuel Lazar, of Ephrata, is charged with:
- Assaulting, Resisting or Impeding Certain Officers
- Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder
- Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority
- Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds
Lazar was expected to have his initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon.
The FBI contends Lazar was part of a crowd that forced its way inside the Capitol building on the afternoon of Jan. 6 in an attempt to disrupt the certification of the vote count of the Electoral College, which officially recognized the election of Joe Biden as president.
The riot at the Capitol building forced both houses of Congress to evacuate their chambers and resulted in five deaths and more than 140 injuries.
On March 2, the FBI received a tip a caller accusing Lazar of participating in the riots. The caller, who said they knew Lazar for 28 years, said Lazar had posted photos and videos of himself on the grounds of the Capitol building during the riot.
FBI investigators viewed the images and identified Lazar as a man dressed in a camouflaged tactical vest, black hooded sweatshirt, and blue jeans.
On his tactical vest was a patch that read, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle," the FBI said.
At times, LAZAR wore green ski goggles to protect his eyes from chemical irritants deployed by law enforcement, the FBI said.
Other videos viewed by investigators show Lazar deploying a chemical irritant at U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metro Police officers and attempting to remove police barricades outside the building.
In another video viewed by investigators, Lazar is seen in a recording made at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 6.
In the video, Lazar is seen stating “They maced us, those tyrannical pieces of s**t, and we maced them right the f**k back and now they’re taking the building," the FBI claims.
Later in the same video, Lazar is seen stating “They attacked the people. We have a right to defend ourselves. F**k the tyrants. There’s a time for peace and there’s a time for war."
Lazar then is seen stating “I was right at the front, on the tip of the spear, brother. That’s where you gotta be," the FBI said.