Jan. 10—A Grapevine man who was an employee of a private charter airline that operates from Fort Worth's Alliance Airport participated last week in the violent intrusion at the U.S. Capitol, federal prosecutors alleged Sunday.
Larry Brock Jr., 53, was arrested by the FBI on Sunday in Texas and charged in U.S. District Court with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
The case, like others involving people who are alleged to have stormed the Capitol, is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
Brock told The New Yorker that the presidential election in November, in which the Air Force veteran's preferred candidate, President Donald Trump, lost, was fraudulent, a position that is not supported by evidence.
Brock entered the U.S. Capitol and wore a green helmet and tactical vest, black and camouflage jacket and beige pants, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He carried flex handcuffs used in law enforcement.
Brock was photographed carrying the flex handcuffs, which he told The New Yorker he had found on the ground and did not intend to use.
A spokesperson for the airline, Hillwood Airways, said on Saturday that Brock was no longer affiliated or associated with the company. The company told the Dallas Morning News it was aware of photos of Brock's involvement in the Capitol mob, but it declined to describe why he was no longer an employee. It was unclear how long Brock worked for the airline.
Prerak Shah, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, wrote on Twitter that the riot was a disgrace.
"Forcibly storming a government building is a shocking betrayal of the rule of law. The Northern District of Texas is proud to partner with the District of DC to hold Larry Brock accountable for his actions," Shah wrote.
In The New Yorker interview, published on Saturday, Brock said that he went to Washington to demonstrate peacefully. "The President asked for his supporters to be there to attend, and I felt like it was important, because of how much I love this country, to actually be there," he said.
When he arrived at the Capitol, Brock said that he assumed he was welcome to enter the building, the article reported.
Brock told The New Yorker he stopped short of entering U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office suite.
In ITV News video, Brock appears to emerge from the suite, the article reported. Brock said that he wore tactical gear because he did not want to be injured and cited Black Lives Matter and Antifa "as potential aggressors." The FBI has said there is no evidence Antifa was involved in the riot.
Brock graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1989. He told The New Yorker that he served in Afghanistan and in Iraq.
The FBI is looking for people who may have incited or promoted violence during the riot. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-225-5324 or submit images or videos at fbi.gov/USCapitol.
Staff writer Bud Kennedy contributed to this report.
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