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Wife accidentally outs husband as alleged Capitol rioter in FB posts

Wife accidentally outs husband as alleged Capitol rioter in FB posts
Photo courtesy of The Justice Department

A man who allegedly took part in infamous Capitol Hill riot was busted - after his wife posted pictures of him in the building to her Facebook page.

She appeared to be trying to help him by attempting to paint his participation in a more wholesome light - but her attempts to defend him backfired as it helped lead the FBI to their door.

According to Business InsiderGary Edwards, the man in question, was spotted in screenshots on his wife’s Facebook account, which chronicled his alleged participation inside the government building.

Prosecutors said Edwards was seen on security footage and other rioter’s live streams on January 6 of him walking inside and outside of the Capitol building.

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But because of social media, authorities had a head start in their attempts to find him.

In an FBI affidavit, Edwards’ wife, Lynn Feiler Edwards, took to her Facebook to describe each detail of her husband’s alleged actions earlier this year.

“Okay ladies let me tell you what happened as my husband was there inside the Capitol Rotunda. There was a small group of young men dressed in military garb who yelled “we r going in!” They broke the barricade down, ran up the steps, broke a window and climbed in. They broke some furniture. Then proceeded to storm the floors,” read one of her Facebook posts per the FBI affidavit.

Photo of Gary Edwards, an alleged participant in the Capitol riots.

When Edwards got inside, Feiler Edwards stated that he was helpful to those who had been the victims of “teargas blasts” by “pouring water on their eyes.”

She also stated that Edwards was carrying flags of the United States and chatted “with police who were very calm.”

To conclude the story, she also noted that “a woman was shot” before Edwards even got inside.

Ashli Babbitt was a woman fatally shot by a capitol hill police officer as she tried to climb into a broken window in the Speaker’s Lobby during the insurrection.

Although it seems Feiler Edwards was trying to paint her husband in a positive light, some things are better not publicized because now, the evidence is being used against Edwards, leading to his arrest.

The court documents state that the FBI received a tip that Edwards was in the Capitol building. They also received screenshots from Feiler Edwards’ Facebook page.

The document also states that the posts about the insurrection Feiler Edwards posted to her public Facebook page on January 6 were “deleted or removed from public view.”

Edwards is charged with five counts, including “the intent to disrupt the orderly conduct of official business,” disruption of business in Congress, demonstration, picketing, and parading in “any of the Capitol buildings.”

Authorities arrested Edwards on Tuesday and charged him with five counts, including violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds, disruption of official business, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building.

To date, 453 people have been charged for participating in the Capitol riots.

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