When you map the hometowns of defendants in the US Capitol attack, there's a big fat circle over Central & Western New York. And those New Yorkers are involved in the higher-level cases
(QUICK THREAD)
Thomas Sibick of Buffalo-area is accused of assaulting DC Police Officer Michael Fanone.. and stealing his radio & badge (and of burying the badge in his backyard in NY)
He's pleaded not guilty and a judge on Friday rejected Sibick's request for release from DC jail
Maryann & Rafael Rondon of Watertown were charged in Syracuse federal court. They're accused of helping someone in mob take a laptop computer from Nancy Pelosi's office suite.... and of stealing escape hoods from US Senate. Rondon also faces charge for shotgun in his home
Matthew Greene is an accused Proud Boy from Syracuse, NY. He's pleaded not guilty in Jan 6 case.
He's charged w/ conspiracy, accused of charging toward Capitol, crossing barriers and using radio w/ earpiece. Higher-level case
Albert Ciarpelli of Syracuse allegedly drove to DC on I-81 on Jan 5, he's accused of being near QAnon Shaman, others who were outside US Senate on Jan 6.. while taking pics on his phone. Lower-level charges. Court appearance Monday was just delayed. No plea entered per docket
Domenic Pezzola of Rochester, NY-area is in pretrial detention in DC jail. He's pleaded not guilty, accused of smashing open US Capitol window with a police riot shield
Eric Bochene of Hartford, NY had entered not guilty plea before/while seeking to represent himself as defense lawyer in case.. and filed this unique motion seeking fee structure from court. Charging $75,000/hour for legal services and $50 million each for blood or urine samples
Syracuse FBI agent investigated case of Jan 6 defendant Richard Watrous of NY. Lower-level charges. He's accused of being unlawfully on grounds... inside Capitol for 5 minutes. Feds allege Watrous saw a man take off w/ bottle of booze while saying, "I got Nancy Pelosi’s wine"
Geographically .... Central & Western NY are reasonably close to DC. I've done the drive 100 times... it's 6 hours south along I-81. But the cluster of cases is noteworthy and some of the accusations or details are unique
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FLASH: Brian Driscoll, the former acting FBI director who was fired by the Trump Administration last month, has filed a federal civil lawsuit against Kash Patel, Pam Bondi and the President
Driscoll and two other fired FBI leaders (Steven Jensen and Spencer Evans) allege their federal rights were violated when they were fired
Suit: "Patel not only acted unlawfully but deliberately chose to prioritize politicizing the FBI over protecting the American people"
Lawsuit filed by fired acting FBI director Brian Driscoll:
"Patel explained that there was nothing he or Driscoll could do to stop these or any other firings, because 'the FBI tried to put the President in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it.”
NEW: Judge Jia Cobb rules in favor of Federal Reserve Board governor Lisa Cook, temporarily blocking Cook's firing by Trump
In a 49-page ruling, Cobb finds Cook's procedural rights were violated and that Cook made a "strong showing" in her argument
(MORE)
Judge Cobb's ruling in favor of Lisa Cook:
"The President’s equivocal claim that Cook 'may have made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements' refers only to conduct that may have occurred before she was confirmed to her position"
The Judge italicized the word "MAY"
Judge Cobb notes that Lisa Cook didn't receive "notice" or a "hearing" before Trump sought to fire her for cause
FLASH: Judge erupts at hearing as Justice Dept reveals dismissal of yet another recent DC criminal case
Judge Zia Farriqui: “We’re past the point of Constitutional crisis”
“embarrassment & shame for the govt”
“This is just a rush to get stats on Twitter or truth social”
Judge slams Justice Dept for being “past the Rubicon”.. as they dismiss Fed charges against Edward Dana, who was charged with threat against President
Dana recently broke a light fixture, was drunk, claimed to police to be in Russian mafia, said he’d fight fascism even if it meant to kill a Pres., per charges
He was held in jail a week. Feds dismissed charge 30 mins before hearing today
Judge apologizes to Dana for his treatment by feds and uncorks a 10 minute, raised-voice stemwinder at Justice Dept prosecutor … saying “We’re acting like this is all normal”
Judge says Trump Admin “is playing cops and robbers like children”
STAND BY: Judge Jia Cobb takes the bench shortly here in DC.
Lisa Cook is challenging her firing from Federal Reserve Board by Trump
Cook is not in courtroom. It's her attorneys Norm Eisen and Abbe Lowell
Lisa Cook's legal team will argue:
"This case challenges President Trump’s unprecedented and illegal attempt to remove Governor Cook from her position which, if allowed to occur, would the first of its kind in the Board’s history. It would subvert the Federal Reserve Act, which explicitly requires a showing of 'cause' for a Governor’s removal, which an unsubstantiated allegation about private mortgage applications submitted by Governor Cook prior to her Senate confirmation is not"
Judge Jia Cobb is a 2021 appointee to the court.
Cobb has previously decried "misinformation" about January 6, the surge in political violent threats and election misinformation from the bench
Amid Trump clampdown in Wash, D.C., a woman spent 6 days in jail awaiting her release for allegedly spitting on a National Zoo police sergeant.
Even though the feds did NOT seek to have her held in pretrial detention
Her defense lawyer filed a motion reading "HELP!!!"
(MORE)
Kristal Rios Esquival was arrested Aug 20 after she was stopped allegedly making an unlawful entry to in a staff entrance to a birdhouse at the Nat'l Zoo. Feds say she spat on a sergeant & made "physical contact" w/ officer leg
Per judge in her case, an odyssey ensued in jail
Per the judge, "Ms. Rios-Esquivel should have been presented to a Magistrate Judge on August 22, 2025. However, federal authorities did not bring Ms. Rios-Esquivel to court until August 25, 2025"