WASHINGTON — Federal investigators say an Idaho man bragged to friends he had stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 but then told the FBI hi intent was to act as an “amateur reporter.”
Ehsan Arbabi, of Coeur d’Alene, was arrested this week on one felony count of civil disorder and the standard four misdemeanors used in Capitol riot cases. The case against him was unsealed Wednesday following his arrest.
According to charging documents, Arbabi traveled to D.C. on Jan. 5 ahead of former President Donald Trump’s planned “Stop the Steal” rally the next day. Arbabi did attend some of Trump’s speech at the Ellipse before walking to the Capitol, where he told FBI agents he believed the former president would again be speaking.
Investigators say photographs recovered from Arbabi’s phone show when he arrived at the Capitol multiple layers of temporary snow fencing and bike rack barricades were still in place. Arbabi eventually made his way to the front of the police line on the west side of the Capitol where, according to charging documents, he joined the mob in breaking through the police line. Once he’d made it past the bike rack barricades, investigators said, video of the riot shows him waving a flag his was carrying in a “celebratory manner.”
Arbabi allegedly then entered the Capitol through the upper west terrace door around 2:44 p.m., roughly 30 minutes after the building was first breached. He left approximately 10 minutes later.
Investigators said shortly after 3:30 p.m., Arbabi sent a text message saying, “We’re gonna try to hold the Capitol until midnight to force a continent [sic] election apparently.”
Ten minutes later, Arbabi allegedly sent texts saying, “I’m part of the group storming the Capitol,” and “we’re literally storming the Capitol building.”
According to charging documents, one of the recipients of those texts responded with a warning, writing, “You are committing an act of terrorism on a federal building Ehsan [sic].”
Arbabi allegedly responded, “Wrong,” and then, six seconds later, “It’s our house.”
In subsequent messages following the riot, Arbabi allegedly acknowledged he’d help break into the Capitol and shrugged off concerns that he would be investigated as a domestic terrorist.
“Well, one man’s domestic terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” Arbabi allegedly wrote.
On Jan. 9, 2021, Arbabi sent a message saying he’d joined the riot because, “I wanted to give my son an example, to see his dad stand up for something.”
Arbabi was interviewed by the FBI in April 2021. During that interview, he reportedly told agents his intent on Jan. 6 was to document the events firsthand in the spirit of an “amateur reporter.” He told agents he’d entered the building after hearing “legitimate arguments” from other members of the crowd about their presence at the Capitol. Arbabi also allegedly said in hindsight he regretted his behavior.
According to charging documents, Arbabi told FBI agents he planned to share all of his videos and photos via social media, but never did so.
In the 44 months since the attack on the Capitol, more than 1,500 people have been charged with crimes ranging from unlawfully entering a restricted area to seditious conspiracy. Nearly 1,000 people have now been convicted and sentenced in connection with the riot.