(The Hill) – A man charged in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol was arrested after allegedly bragging about his participation in the riot to an Uber driver.
Jerry Daniel Braun was arrested April 12 and charged with obstruction during civil disorder, entering and remaining in a building and violent entry or disorderly conduct.
According to court documents unsealed this week, an Uber driver who chauffeured Braun hours after the Jan. 6 riot reported him to the Justice Department after the rider spoke about his involvement in the attack.
Braun, who had an injury near his right eye and was bleeding, told the Uber driver that he tore down barricades at the Capitol, according to dashboard video of the ride.
“So, has it been violent all day?” the Uber driver reportedly asked.
“Well, it started around, right when I got there. I tore down the barricades,” he responded.
When asked why he did that, Braun said “Well, because, so we could get to the Capitol.”
“Well, how’d that work out for ya?” the Uber driver asked.
“Well, it looks like, uh, Biden’s gonna be our president,” Braun responded.
Authorities later determined that the man was Braun after finding his reservation at the hotel where he was dropped off by the Uber and matching his face on the video inside the Uber to a photo from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Braun allegedly physically struggled with law enforcement officers using a barricade, according to court documents citing body camera video from Metropolitan Police Department Officers. He also allegedly struck an individual wearing a press helmet with a long wooden plank and his left hand.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Braun’s residence in South El Monte, Calif., on Nov. 8, during which the defendant voluntarily spoke with agents. Braun confirmed that he took part in demonstrations in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6.
Before departing, the resident’s agents asked Braun if he wanted to tell them anything, to which he responded “guilty.” Pressed on what he was guilty of, Braun said “everything,” adding that he “flew out there, listened to the speech, walked toward the Capitol, made it to the edge of the crowd.”
Agents seized an iPhone in their search and later discovered text messages related to the Jan. 6 attack. In a message sent at night Jan. 6, Braun wrote “We tried to stop the steal but they wouldn’t let us in, where were you, the writing your next speech, we are sick of all the talk.”
Almost 800 individuals who took part in the riot had been arrested as of April 6, which marked 15 months since the day supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building, according to the Justice Department. Roughly 248 individuals have pleaded guilty to a number of charges.
