(TheRedWire.com) – Nearly 500 people were charged with crimes stemming from the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill. Now, it appears the government is dropping one person’s case after the FBI recanted their position that a New York man was inside the Capitol building during the riot. Authorities arrested Christopher Kelly on January 20 based on information from a paid FBI confidential informant (CI). The CI notified the nation’s leading law enforcement agency that Kelly posted information about the riot on Facebook Messenger mobile app and claimed a picture of Kelly was taken inside the Capitol building and posted to the app.
NEW: The feds moved today to dismiss the case against Capitol defendant Christopher Kelly without prejudice. Filing is pretty barebones, I’ve got a call into his lawyer for an explanation. pic.twitter.com/t12wuwMYua
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) June 1, 2021
It turns out none of it was true, and no evidence existed that Kelly ever broke the law. Federal prosecutors are moving to dismiss all charges. A picture of Kelly was taken on Capitol grounds away from the building and outside of the restricted zone. However, there’s no proof he was ever in the building, according to court documents. In addition, there’s no cellphone tracking to indicate that the defendant’s phone was in the building or that Kelly was with the rioters.
Of the 500 people charged, other innocent individuals may be among them as well.
Copyright 2021, TheRedWire.com
