Feds detail Goshen man’s Capitol riot charges

The Goshen News | by John Kline | March 29, 2022

GOSHEN — Additional details regarding the recent arrest of a Goshen man in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot have been released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jeffrey Munger, 55, was arrested March 23 on charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building.

News of the arrest was announced on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Twitter account, as were the specific charges he is facing.

According to a statement of facts recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice, authorities used a device associated with a Google Gmail account registered to Munger to track his whereabouts during the riot.

“According to records obtained through a search warrant served on Google, a device associated with (Munger’s Gmail account) was present at or around the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021, between the times of 2:28 p.m. and 3:40 p.m.,” the document states. “Records obtained through a search warrant served on Google for information associated specifically with (Munger’s Gmail account) included multiple photographs and videos that appear to have been taken at the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021.”

The documents note that footage obtained from the U.S. Capitol building’s closed circuit video system shows a person, believed to be Munger, climbing into the building through a broken window next to the Senate Wing Door at approximately 2:50 p.m. Additional CCTV footage reportedly shows what appears to be the same person exiting the building through the Senate Wing Door at approximately 3:04 p.m., indicating that he remained inside the building for approximately 14 minutes.

During a voluntary interview with investigators at his Goshen home on Dec. 15, 2021, Munger allegedly admitted that he had traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 4, 2021. His statement reportedly matches with the latitude and longitude data obtained from the search of Munger’s Gmail account, which places the device associated with that account at Munger’s home on Jan. 3, 2021, shows the device traveling east to arrive in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 4, 2021, and eventually returning to Munger’s home on Jan. 8, 2021.

“Munger admitted to entering the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021, through a broken window,” the documents state. “Using a map provided by the interviewing agent, Munger circled the area where he entered the building through a broken window. The area he circled is known as the Senate Wing Door, which is located on the northwest side of the U.S. Capitol building.”

Munger allegedly told investigators that he saw people trying to force open doors and heard glass breaking, among other things, and he went inside the building because the crowd was pushing him into a corner and the only way for him to leave the area was to go through the window.

“He admitted to taking photographs while inside, and stated that he never heard any commands from law enforcement officers to exit the building,” the documents add. “He stated that he walked down the hall, saw people smoking pot, and then decided to leave.”

Munger also reportedly identified himself in several provided images of U.S. Capitol building footage from the time of the riot, as well as photographs he had taken while at the building on Jan. 6. He also allowed investigators to photograph the coat and hat he had worn the day of the riot, which he still had in his possession, the documents state.

Munger is the fifth Indiana resident to be charged this month in connection with the Capitol riot, out of a current total of 10 other people with Indiana ties, according to The Associated Press.

More than 770 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. More than 230 riot defendants have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and at least 127 of them have been sentenced. Approximately 100 others have trial dates.

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