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NH man who said he 'chugged' wine at Capitol riot arrested by FBI

Jason Daniel Riddle, 32, of Keene, New Hampshire was arrested Monday by the FBI Boston Division

KEENE, N.H. — A New Hampshire man who said he "chugged" wine amid the chaos of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was arrested and is facing federal charges for his alleged involvement. 

Jason Daniel Riddle, 32, of Keene, N.H., was arrested without incident Monday afternoon by the FBI Boston Division’s New Hampshire Joint Terrorism Task Force, with the assistance of the Keene Police Department, according to an FBI complaint filed Monday.

He is charged with the following:

  • Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority
  • Theft of government property
  • Violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

According to a criminal complaint, the FBI received tips from people who had seen Riddle do an interview on NBC10 Boston, where he admitted to entering the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Riddle, who said he is a military veteran and a proud supporter of former President Donald Trump, described his experience inside the building, and admitted he went in, telling NBC10 Boston he "just had to see it." 

Riddle said he didn't regret it. 

Riddle provided photos and videos of himself at the Capitol to NBC10, including a photo of himself inside a lawmaker's office holding a bottle of wine that he stole. 

“And I chugged it and got out of there,” he told NBC10 during the interview.

Video submitted to the FBI through the tip line shows Riddle outside the Capitol before going in, at this point wearing a red jacket, a Trump hat, and holding a cell phone. 

The complaint says after Riddle appeared to exit the Capitol, he can be seen on video holding a book in his hand, which he didn't have before entering. 

Credit: Courtesy FBI Boston Division
Riddle says he stole the book from a lawmaker's office and sold it to someone outside for $40.

The FBI executed a court-authorized search warrant at Riddle's residence in Keene on Jan. 22. During the search, Riddle agreed to an interview with FBI agents where he described his time in Washington and at the Capitol on Jan. 6. 

Riddle said he waited for the initial rush to get into the building went by and then followed and walked into the Capitol. The complaint says Riddle also "admitted that he walked into an office and found an open bottle of wine on or in a refrigerator and poured himself a glass. Riddle then admitted to drinking the wine and then leaving the office after being told to do so by a police officer."

Riddle said he found a book in the same office and later sold it to a man for $40. 

Riddle's arrest brings the total number of individuals arrested by the FBI Boston Division in connection with the riots at the U.S. Capitol to six.

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