NW Side man facing felony charges over Capitol riot
Federal prosecutors have slapped felony charges on a Northwest Side man who was arrested last month after allegedly posting a photo of himself outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Kevin J. Lyons, 40, initially faced misdemeanor charges when he was arrested at his Chicago home days after the Jan. 6 riot in Washington.
Now he officially faces three felonies: entering and remaining in a restricted building, doing so “with the intent to disrupt the orderly conduct of official business,” and disorderly conduct, according to court records filed Wednesday.
According to the initial criminal complaint filed against Lyons, FBI agents said he didn’t give a direct answer when asked whether he’d entered the Capitol.
But when the agents showed him a photo that briefly had been posted to his Instagram account of a sign that read, “Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi,” he allegedly replied: “Wow you are pretty good. That was up for only an hour.”
Though the photo of Pelosi’s sign was allegedly removed from Lyons’ Instagram page, another appeared to show the route he planned to drive from Chicago to Washington. A post beside it reads, “I refuse to tell my children that I sat back and did nothing. I’m heading to DC to STOP THE STEAL! #MAGA #KAG.”
The feds say Lyons did admit to traveling from Chicago to Washington for a Trump rally, though he allegedly said he couldn’t guarantee that he posted the incriminating photo. But then he showed agents the same photo on his phone, according to the complaint.
At least four other Illinoisans have been charged as a result of the deadly pro-Trump riot.