FBI arrests Delaware man who brought Confederate flag into Capitol
Kevin Seefried told officials the banner he's pictured holding in the Capitol normally flies outside his home.
The image of an American man carrying the Confederate flag through the United States Capitol building may be one of the most enduring images of last Wednesday’s deadly insurrection.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has identified him as Kevin Seefried, 51, of Delaware. He and his son, Hunter Seefried were both arrested Thursday, and he reportedly told federal officials the flag of the Confederacy he’s shown holding normally flies outside his home in Laurel.
The two were charged with unlawfully entering a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and degradation of government property. Convictions on those counts could lead to prison sentences up to 11 years.
The younger Seefried, 23, also faces charges of destroying property at the Capitol, which can lead to another decade behind bars.
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Officials allege the Seefrieds entered the Senate building through a broken window following the “Stop the Steal” protest against the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden‘s Electoral College victory over President Donald Trump, an election Trump supporters believe was rife with fraud.
The men were identified after a coworker of Hunter Seefried reported to authorities that he was bragging about storming the Capitol with his father. Both men confessed to being present at the riot, and the FBI says they were inside the Capitol Building for 23 minutes.
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“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,” FBI agents wrote in court documents, according to ABC13.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin said that the arrests stemming from last week’s deadly uprising could rise into the hundreds. So far, over 100 people involved in the insurrection have been federally charged.
“We’re looking at significant felony cases tied to sedition and conspiracy,” Sherwin said earlier this week.
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According to WHYY, Seefried has previous convictions that include misdemeanor terroristic threatening and offensive touching in the 1990s.
The men were released to home detention and assigned a court-appointed attorney. A condition of their release is that they cannot visit Washington D.C except for court-related matters. They will be tried by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
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