Kevin Seefried of Laurel, Delaware, was arrested after the FBI identified him as the man with a Confederate flag during the January 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol.
Authorities said Seefried was with his son in the Capitol that day. Both Kevin Seefried and his son, Hunter Seefried, were charged in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, January 14, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. They were both arrested in Delaware and charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and one count of depredation of government property.
“It is alleged that during the events at the U.S. Capitol, Kevin Seefried and Hunter Seefried entered the Senate Building through a broken window and, shortly thereafter, Kevin Seefried was photographed holding a Confederate Battle flag inside the Capitol Building,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Kevin Seefried Told FBI Agents He Normally Keeps His Confederate Flag Outside His Delaware Home
The man photographed holding a Confederate flag inside the U.S. Capitol during the riot has been arrested in Delaware, two law enforcement officials said. The man, Kevin Seefried, was wanted by the FBI.
The Seefrieds agreed to be interviewed by FBI agents, and both of them admitted to being at the Capitol. Kevin Seefried told agents he brought his family to Washington, D.C., to hear President Donald Trump speak and said that he brought his Confederate flag with him. He typically displays the flag outside his house, he told investigators, according to court documents. Kevin Seefried further said he and his son participated in the march to the U.S. Capitol.
The FBI’s statement of facts says:
On January 12, 2021, both Kevin Seefried and Hunter Seefried participated in voluntary and separate interviews with the FBI. Both defendants confirmed their participation in the events at the Capitol as discussed herein. Kevin Seefried also explained that he brought the Confederate Battle flag seen in Exhibit A to the District of Columbia from his home in Delaware where it is usually displayed outside. Defendant Kevin Seefried told law enforcement that he had traveled with his family from Delaware to the District of Columbia to hear President Trump speak and that he and Hunter Seefried participated in a march from the White House to the Capitol led by an individual with a bull horn.
Delaware Online reported Kevin Seefried has an address in Laurel. They said a construction business was previously registered in his name but that the business license linked to a separate Laurel address has lapsed. The business name was K&E Construction LLC.
2. Kevin Seefried & His Son Were Identified When Hunter Seefried Bragged About Being in the Capitol With His Dad, the FBI Said
ARRESTED: Man who stormed the Capitol and then walked around inside of it with a Confederate flag
Name: Kevin Seefried
Lives in: Delaware
His son Hunter was with him.
Hunter has also been arrested.
Father & son will appear in federal court, today.
t.co/dwLXsymAwF
Kevin Seefried and Hunter Seefried were identified when a caller told FBI agents Hunter was “bragging” about being in the Capitol siege with his father. The caller was Hunter Seefried’s co-worker and said he recognized him in a Metropolitan Police Department flier, according to court documents filed in the case.
The court filing says:
Defendants Kevin Seefried and Hunter Seefried were identified after the FBI received a report from a coworker of Hunter Seefried relaying that Hunter Seefried had bragged about being in the Capitol with his father on January 6, 2021. The reporting individual confirmed that Hunter Seefried was visible in a Metropolitan Police Department flier depicting individuals who breached the Capitol Building’s security; he has a moustache and is wearing a black hat and black jacket. (Exhibit B). The FBI reviewed Kevin Seefried’s driver’s license photo and it matched the image of the individual holding the Confederate Battle Flag. The FBI was also able to confirm that Kevin Seefried is Hunter Seefried’s father.
The Metropolitan Police Department is continuing to seek information on the identities of those involved with the insurrection attempt. The full catalog of photos is available here.
“MPD seeks assistance in identifying persons of interest responsible for Unlawful Entry offenses that occurred yesterday on US Capitol Grounds, 100 block of 1st Street, NW,” the D.C. Police Department wrote on Twitter. “More photos: https://bit.ly/35jFina Have info? Call (202) 727-9099/text 50411.”
3. Kevin & Hunter Seefried Were in a Group of People Who Were in a Confrontation With Police & Hunter Seefried Took a Selfie, the FBI Said
MPD seeks assistance in identifying persons of interest responsible for Unlawful Entry offenses that occurred yesterday on US Capitol Grounds, 100 block of 1st Street, NW.
More photos: t.co/i2Hbv1bkPh
Have info? Call (202) 727-9099/text 50411
Kevin and Hunter Seefried were within a group of people that had a confrontation with police at the U.S. Capitol, the FBI said. The group “verbally confronted” U.S. Capitol Police for about 15 minutes. Footage from USCP showed Hunter Seefried taking a selfie or a video of himself during the confrontation, agents wrote.
The FBI wrote:
While in the building, both defendants were part of a larger group of individuals who verbally confronted several U.S. Capitol police officers for approximately 15 minutes. During this time, video footage from the U.S. Capitol Police shows Hunter Seefried using a phone to take a selfie photograph or video at approximately 2:29 p.m. The Defendants appear to depart the Capitol at approximately 2:36 p.m. from the Senate Carriage Door. At no time were they authorized to be inside the U.S. Capitol complex.
FBIExhibit B from the FBI’s Statement of Fact in the case against the Seefrieds.
The FBI attached a photo to court documents from the Metropolitan Police Department’s catalog of photos, which the police department was circulating in hopes of identifying those in the pictures.
4. Hunter Seefried Is Also Accused of Helping to Clear Broken Glass From a Capitol Window, Which Was Shown in a YouTube Video
The man who brought the Confederate flag to the Capitol siege and his son face federal charges.
Kevin Seefried told agents his son Hunter was asked to clear the broken window, where they entered, because Hunter was wearing gloves, feds say.
Story soon by @AlbertoLuperon
Hunter Seefried was also identified as a person involved with breaking a window at the Capitol. He told agents that someone else broke the window with a board, and they asked him to help clear out glass because he was wearing gloves. Agents saw video of the incident, which was posted on Twitter, they said.
One agent wrote:
Finally, I have reviewed video footage posted to Twitter which shows Hunter Seefried punching out glass in a window in the Capitol complex after people adjacent to him in the crowd broke it with a wooden 2 x 4. Kevin Seefried confirmed to law enforcement agents that Hunter Seefried was asked by an individual unknown to the Seefrieds to assist with clearing the window because Hunter Seefried was wearing gloves. After Hunter Seefried complied, people from the crowd outside, to include the Seefrieds, were able to access the interior of the Capitol Building.
The FBI used stills from the above video as exhibits in court filings. The video shows people breaking a window at the U.S. Capitol building with a shield and with a wooden board. A man the FBI identified as Hunter Seefried is then seen climbing onto the window sill.
5. The FBI Shared a Photo of the Man With the Confederate Flag on Social Media, Asking for Help Identifying Him
Help the #FBI identify individuals who unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol on January 6. If you recognize someone, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or visit t.co/buMd8vYXzH to submit a tip. t.co/GBUQJkydGI
The picture of the man carrying the Confederate flag was among those the FBI posted on social media to request the help of the public in identifying him.
“Help the #FBI identify individuals who unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol on January 6,” the FBI wrote on Twitter January 10. “If you recognize someone, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or visit http://fbi.gov/USCapitol to submit a tip. http://ow.ly/3KPE50D4NRQ.”
Both Kevin Seefried and his son, Hunter Seefried, were scheduled to appear in court Thursday, January 14, Delaware Online reported.
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