LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Investigators arrested a man accused of entering the U.S. Capitol during the riot on Jan. 6 outside of another suspect’s Las Vegas apartment on Thursday, documents obtained by the I-Team said.
Ronald “Ronnie” Sandlin was taken into custody outside of Nathaniel “Nathan” DeGrave’s apartment in Las Vegas, court documents said. DeGrave and Sandlin both are believed to have breached the Capitol. The FBI had surveilled DeGrave’s apartment and noticed Sandlin’s truck parked outside, documents said.
Sandlin had written on social media he had planned to drive to Washington from Memphis, Tennessee, court documents said. His residence could not be confirmed Friday, but investigators wrote in court documents he lived in the Memphis area.
“Who is going to Washington D.C. on the 6th of January?” a post provided to authorities in court documents said. “I’m going to be there to show support for our president and to do my part to stop the steal and stand behind Trump when he decides to cross the rubicon. If you are a patriot I believe it’s your duty to be there.”
According to court documents, a post from Sandlin said he, DeGrave and a third man were asking for money through a GoFundMe page.
Court documents said Sandlin and DeGrave were seen on camera inside the Capitol. Authorities identified Sandlin, who was wearing a bright, orange sweatshirt, and DeGrave, who was wearing a red-white-and-blue neck bandanna, officials wrote in documents filed in federal court.
Sandlin was seen on video smoking weed inside the Capitol. He is heard on the video saying, “People are smoking weed in here. Thank you patriot. We made history in here,” according to court documents.
The FBI arrested Sandlin on charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. He is due in court Monday.
The I-Team first reported details of DeGrave’s arrest late Thursday.
Five people died in the riot, including an officer for the Capitol Police. Federal prosecutors have filed charges stemming from the breach against more than 130 people so far.
