WASHINGTON – Authorities have arrested several people who were at the U.S. Capitol during and after the riot on Jan. 6, including a man from Schuyler.
According to the Associated Press, William Arthur Leary, who owns a local manufactured housing business, said he strongly believes the election was stolen from Trump, and that he went to Washington to show his support.
“I went for support – to show support for the president,” he said.
Leary told NEWSChannel 2 he didn’t arrive in Washington until 4 p.m., and was arrested around 7 p.m. He says he is unsure of his charges, but believes he was arrested for being out after the 6 p.m. curfew.
Leary alleges his Miranda rights were not read to him, he wasn’t allowed a phone call, and his phone and property were taken after his arrest.
“They treated us like animals,” he told the AP. “They took all our phones. I didn’t get to make a phone call to tell anybody where I was.”
Leary also told the Associated Press he doesn’t trust information reported by the mainstream media, and that one of his main sources of information was Infowars, the far-right conspiracy site run by Alex Jones.
Numerous lawsuits alleging election fraud have been thrown out across the country by state and federal officials who say there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Leary told the Associated Press he remembers seeing a woman, Kristina Malimon, 28, sobbing at the detention center because she had been separated and not allowed to translate for her mother, who primarily speaks Russian. Both women had been charged with curfew violation and unlawful entry.
According to a video posted on her Instagram account, the younger Malimon says she was born in Moldova, where her family had faced persecution under the Soviet-era regime for their Christian beliefs.