Alleged Jan. 6 Rioter Arrested After Tip From Former High School Classmate

A former high school classmate tipped off the FBI, prompting the arrest of a Minnesota man who is now facing charges over his alleged involvement in the deadly January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to local media reports.

The tipster said Martin James Cudo, 43, of Lakeville, Minnesota, posted a "selfie" from the Capitol riot on social media, local outlet the Star Tribune reported citing a Department of Justice (DOJ) criminal complaint. In addition to the classmate's tip, the FBI also received information from someone at Cudo's workplace who identified him in photographs as participating in the insurrection, according to the federal court documents. Cudo was arrested in Lakeville on Monday, the local outlet reported. Online court records did not indicate when he is due to appear in U.S. District Court in D.C. as of Wednesday night.

Newsweek reached out via email on Wednesday to the DOJ for comment and an update on the case. It was unclear if Cudo had retained an attorney who could speak on his behalf at the time of publication.

In the nearly three years since the Capitol siege, more than 1,230 people have been charged for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 riot, when a group of former President Donald Trump's supporters violently protested the 2020 presidential election results, allegedly to block Congress from certifying then-President-elect Joe Biden's victory. The investigation remains ongoing, federal prosecutors said.

The classmate's tip included a selfie that Cudo took inside the Capitol amid the riot and shared on social media shortly after, according to the criminal complaint. During FBI questioning Cudo was shown the photo and "confirmed that he was the individual."

Cudo said that he traveled to D.C. on January 4, 2021, with her mother and stepfather to attend the "Stop the Steal" protest, which featured former President Donald Trump and other speakers who touted the false claim that the MAGA leader had been cheated out of a second term by Democratic President Joe Biden.

The complaint, which was filed last week in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia and unsealed on Monday, does not explain why charges were filed nearly three years after Cudo was questioned by the FBI.

After separating from his mother and stepfather, Cudo was allegedly among the masses who breached police barricades and entered the Capitol, the complaint states.

Interior video surveillance captured Cudo's movements and showed him enter various offices, according to the complaint, which includes what the prosecution said is the selfie he took while wearing an American flag COVID mask and a red, white and blue "Trump 45" cap.

Cudo eventually gave in to police demands and left the Capitol after being inside for less than 10 minutes, the complaint read.

He told the FBI that when he returned to his hotel room, he realized he may be in trouble for his participation in the Capitol siege, according to the complaint.

Cudo faces federal charges of entering a restricted building with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of government business. An attorney wasn't listed for him in the court file as of Tuesday.