A Blue Earth man has been arrested and is facing charges from the January 6th, 2021 insurrection. Camera footage from the U.S. Capitol building and body worn cameras show 34 year old Paul Orta Jr. leading and beckoning rioters past barricades, making exclamations to cameras, pushing through officers, and eventually, climbing on top of a wall and raising a clenched fist in the air.
Prosecutors say Orta Jr. told federal investigators that he “wanted to do the right thing” when he met with FBI agents at the Minneapolis field office on January 25th, 2021,
Court documents say that Orta Jr. told prosecutors he had gone past the “first barrier” of the security perimeter, but denied entering the Capitol Building.
Supplied with video, the DOJ alleges Orta Jr joined rioters in pulling bike racks away from law enforcement attempting to keep the Capitol building secure, all while Congress attempted to cerify 2020 presidential election results.
Law enforcement also claims that Orta Jr threw and unknown, dark colored object toward officers attempting to hold back the rioting crowd.
Orta Jr told FBI agents he hadn’t thrown anything or hit anyone that “he could recall”.
Police arrested Orta Jr on November 14th.
Orta Jr. faces one federal felony charge of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder.
He also faces two federal misdemeanor charges: one for entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds and the other for disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
Orta Jr. will make his initial appearance in the Federal District of Minnesota on Wednesday.
With Orta Jr.’s arrest, he joins more than 1,200 people charged as a result of alleged activity during the Capitol assault.