NJ Army Reservist, federal contractor arrested after Capitol riot
A U.S. Army Reserve member and federal military contractor from Monmouth County is among the latest federal arrests stemming from the deadly insurrection at the Capitol.
Timothy Louis Hale-Cusanelli, of Colts Neck, works as a contractor at Naval Weapons Station Earle, according to an affidavit filed by the FBI on Friday, as first reported by The Daily Beast.
The same affidavit cited a confidential source who described Hale-Cusanelli as "an avowed white supremacist & Nazi sympathizer" who posted videos offering "extreme political opinions and viewpoints" as "The Based Hermes Show."
As of Sunday, existing Facebook and Instagram accounts also be the name "The Based Hermes Show" were no longer available on those social media networks.
Federal investigators also said they've seen cell phone videos that show Hale-Cusanelli "making harassing and derogatory statements toward Capitol Police officers both inside and outside the Capitol building" during the violent riot on Jan. 6.
On Thursday, the confidential informant used a recording device to tape Hale-Cusanelli saying that he was among the mob that entered the Capitol, and that he encouraged others in the throng to "advance."
In the same recording, the affidavit said, Hale-Cusanelli noted that if "they’d had more men they could have taken over the entire building."
Hale-Cusanelli has been charged with the following federal counts:
- Violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building
- Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority
- Disrupting the orderly conduct of government business
- Parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building
- Obstructing a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder
The federal affidavit and criminal complaint did not give an age for Hale-Cusanelli.