A former public official was charged this week with submitting false information about a former colleague to the FBI's tip line investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to court documents released Friday.
Miguel Zapata was arrested Thursday in Chantilly, Virginia, on suspicion of providing a materially false statement to law enforcement, according to an arrest warrant.
Between February and April 2021, Zapata submitted at least seven anonymous tips through the FBI's tip portal accusing former government colleagues of involvement in the Capitol attack, according to an FBI affidavit. . The affidavit does not specify Mr. Zapata's government experience.
The affidavit states that Zapata used a “web anonymization” service and that the tips were worded in the same way.
According to the affidavit, FBI records also show that the information was traced back to four IP addresses and that subscriber information for those IP addresses was assigned to a service provider account with the billing name “Mike Zapata.” I am.
Logs cited in the affidavit show that his account used an unidentified service to access the FBI's tip line, conduct research on some of the people he reported, and use the term “FBI mall.” It shows that you searched on Google.
The documents allege that Zapata's false tips were used to instruct his former government employees and contractors to share classified information to support the efforts of people and groups involved in the Capitol riot and, in some cases, to overthrow the government. He claims to have shared it.
“The seven government employees and contractors were not in Washington, D.C., nor did they attack the Capitol on January 6,” the affidavit states, adding that each of the accused The person was noted to have been working in Virginia on January 6, 2021.
In a Feb. 16, 2021 information, Zapata said his colleagues participated in the Capitol riot and took an active role in leading the riot to “find and execute politicians.” insisted. Zapata worked with the individual from approximately 2017 to 2019, according to his affidavit.
In another April 11, 2021 information, Zapata said that his former colleagues “support domestic terrorist groups such as the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Boogaloo,” and that he has used these groups to support efforts to overthrow the government. He claimed to have shared confidential information with. document.
Mr. Zapata and lawyers listed by the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday night.
More than 1,387 defendants have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack.
