The FBI arrested a Buras man on Thursday in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, charging him with six misdemeanor counts.
Matthew Matulich, 34, was arrested in Venice "without incident," according to the FBI. He faces charges of theft of government property; knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority; disorderly conduct in a restricted building; entering or remaining in the gallery of a house of Congress; disorderly conduct in the Capitol, and parading or demonstrating in the Capitol.
A detailed criminal complaint filed in support of Matulich's arrest says a Samsung phone tied to Matulich's account was pinged from the Capitol on the day of the riot.
One witness, who is not named in the complaint, said he and Matulich drove from Louisiana to Washington and spent the night of Jan. 5 at an Airbnb in Virginia. The next morning they went to a rally for former President Donald Trump and then split up, the witness said. The pair drove back to Louisiana afterward.
A second witness, also unnamed, is described as Matulich's boss at a medical supply company. That witness said Matulich asked for time off in early January 2021, a request that was denied. Matulich then missed work from January 6-8 and was terminated as a result, the witness said.
The complaint also includes eight still images, taken from video footage of the riots, in which witnesses have identified Matulich. On the day of the riot, Matulich wore a red "Make America Great Again" baseball cap, with the number 45 embroidered above the right ear,Ìýthe complaint says. The number is an homage to Trump, the nation's 45th president.
According to the complaint, Matulich removed an American flag from somewhere inside the Capitol and kept it. The value of the flag and the flagpole that held it was estimated at $145, the complaint says.
Matulich is the ninth Louisiana resident to be charged in the Jan. 6 riots. He will be arraigned in an initial court appearance at U.S. District Court in New Orleans.
