FBI agents arrested a Rochester, Minn., woman early Thursday on charges connected to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, the second Minnesotan and one of hundreds across the nation accused of participating in the illegal occupation.
Victoria White, 39, appeared before Minnesota U.S. District Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson on Thursday afternoon.
According to the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office, the charges against White include: entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building; impeding or attempting to impede law enforcement officers; and obstruction of justice/Congress.
On Jan. 10, four days after the riot, the FBI received a tip about comments White allegedly made on her Facebook page on her participation in the events under her name and the alias Janice Marie Evans. "A friend said Delete FB stuff," one post reads. "I stated I'm not scared i was in the capitol DETAINED and they took my social security # name address they are coming for me. I am not afraid of them or anyone!! There I said it Come get me, You don't know the story, it's not what you think."
In addition to many Facebook posts detailing her role, investigators found several videos posted to social media confirming White's presence at the Capitol, along with security footage, according to the FBI. The images show her wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat with a Trump-emblazoned flag tied to her neck like a cape.
In one video, she and others chastise a man who is trying to break a Capitol window.
Another video shows White pushing toward the tunnel entrance of the building's lower west terrace. The crowd chanted, "Pull the cops out!" White is seen "raising her fist and cheering as the rioters force a large flagpole into the entranceway where the [Metropolitan Police Department] officers are standing guard," according to the FBI affidavit. "After White has pushed her way closer to the entrance, she helps hoist up another rioter, who then makes his way to the entrance and proceeds to assault the [Metropolitan] officers. White is seen pointing and cheering as the rioter swings from the top of the entranceway and kicks the [Metropolitan] officers."
Security footage shows a person who appears to be White making her way up to the terrace of the building, to a group of officers holding riot shields, according to the affidavit. "As the video progresses, the [Metropolitan] officers attempt to push White back with their riot shields and fend her off with a baton," the affidavit states. "White is seen in a red sweater, and it appears that she is attempting to grab a shield and uses her hand to block the baton."
