A retired New York Fire Department firefighter has been arrested after he sent a selfie of himself inside the U.S. Capitol during the riots to his girlfriend’s brother, who was a federal agent.
According to WUSA 9, Thomas Fee is currently charged with impeding the orderly conduct of government business or official functions and entering a restricted building or grounds. On Tuesday (Jan. 19), he was released on $100,000 bond and ordered to turn over three of his weapons.
Prosecutors have a list of damning evidence against Fee. The federal agent saw a Facebook post from his sister that her boyfriend was “at the rally” on Jan. 6 during the insurrection. The agent then texted Fee, who confirmed that he was in the Capitol Rotunda and sent a photo of himself and a text saying he was “at the tip of the spear.”
The federal agent then reported the evidence to the Diplomatic Security Service. They then passed it to the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Additionally, federal authorities were also able to confirm that Fee’s white Chevy Tahoe left Long Island, where he lives, on Jan. 5 and returned on Jan. 7.
Fee is at least the second retired firefighter who has been charged in connection with the insurrection. The first was Robert Sanford, who was arrested and charged for striking several Capitol police officers with a fire extinguisher.
The 55-year-old man was detained for attacking Officer William Young. According to footage of the violent incident, Sanford threw the extinguisher at the cop, which deflected and struck two other officers as well. Young was taken to a hospital where he was evaluated and fortunately cleared to resume his occupational obligations.
Sanford was charged with civil disorder and assaulting, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, entering a restricted building without lawful authority and resisting or impeding officers while engaged in the performance of official duties.