Canadian arrested trying to enter White House
Bringing Trump two bottles of Crown Royal
A Canadian man arrested for trespassing at the White House, telling police he wanted to give U.S. President Donald Trump two bottles of Crown Royal whisky and ask his help finding a wife, is being held in jail for a mental health evaluation.
While the bizarre circumstances of the arrest of Yianny Georgopoulos ignited a wave of merriment and mockery on social media, a darker side emerges in court documents alleging a history of domestic violence, stalking and mental health issues.
Georgopoulos made “spontaneous statements” and did not seem able to follow his attorney’s or the judge’s instructions during his brief court appearance following his bizarre arrest, causing concern for prosecutors.
“Without understanding the defendant’s mental health, it is impossible to determine whether the defendant intends any actual harm to the President of the United States or any other (U.S. Secret Service) protectee,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman wrote in a prosecutors’ request for a delay in releasing Georgopoulos prior to trial, filed Thursday afternoon.
“Little is known about the defendant’s background and criminal history in Canada,” Zimmerman wrote.
Georgopoulos, whose age and hometown in Canada were not released, was arrested at 12:14 a.m. on Jan. 2.
Georgopoulos was confronted by a Secret Service agent at the White House after he approached a bicycle rack used as a security barrier to help protect the north fence line.
The rack is marked with signs saying “No Trespassing Authorized Personnel Only” and “Restricted Area Do Not Enter,” according to Secret Service agent Brenton Brown’s sworn statement, filed in court.
Ignoring the signs, Georgopoulos physically moved the barrier and stepped into the restricted area, according to the statement. Brown called for him to step back out of the White House grounds. Georgopoulos then said, according to the statement, he “was here to see the ‘President’ and wanted to deliver two bottles of Crown Royal alcohol to him.”
“After multiple commands,” the statement says, Georgopoulos “exited the restricted area,” and was arrested. He was identified through his Canadian passport, the Secret Service said.
During a post-arrest interview with Secret Service agents, Georgopoulos claimed he travelled to Washington, D.C., from Canada “to speak with the President of the United States because he wanted help from the President to find a wife,” according to the Secret Service.
He admitted he saw the no trespassing signs but ignored them and continued on his mission.
He “admitted to having been arrested recently for ‘threatening family members,’” according to the sworn statement, and “admitted to having stalked his cousin.”
He also said he didn’t know when he will return to his home in Canada, saying he “can’t go home,” but declined to reveal why, according to the agent’s statement.
He was charged with entering a restricted building or ground and unlawful entry to public property.
Georgopoulos appeared in court in Washington, D.C., later that day.
U.S. prosecutors requested Georgopoulos be held in custody without bond pending a forensic psychological evaluation. The motion was opposed by a public defender appointed for him.
Georgopoulos’ behaviour in court made prosecutors even more concerned, noting that the hours between the alleged offence and the hearing meant his unusual actions were unlikely to be attributable to alcohol or drug use.
Court filings say Georgopoulos self-reported being “bipolar.”
“This court needs to understand the defendant’s current mental state to identify whether there are any conditions of release that can reasonably assure the safety of the community and the defendant’s appearance in court,” prosecutors argued.
Judge Deborah Robinson had previously agreed Georgopoulos should undergo a mental health evaluation by the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health. She ordered that Georgopoulos remain in custody until Friday for the evaluation.
However, the earliest appointment for a psychiatric evaluation is Monday, prompting the prosecutor’s request for the delay.
Georgopoulos’s lawyer has not yet had a chance to respond to the government’s delay motion.
Consular notice to the Canadian embassy was given by the U.S. government, according to court records.
Richard Walker, a spokesman for Global Affairs Canada, said the department “is aware of a case involving a Canadian citizen detained in Washington, D.C. For privacy reasons, we are not able to release any further details.”
Prosecutors Kenneth Kohl and Jolie Zimmerman declined to comment on the case. Georgopoulos’s public defender, Tony Miles, did not respond to requests for comment.