TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Parrish man who was allegedly photographed carrying away House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern after a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol was released on a $25,000 bond Monday.
Adam Johnson, 36, was arrested Friday night on a federal warrant and was booked into jail in Pinellas County. He faces three felony counts of entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, theft of government property and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
The arrest stems from the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, in which supporters of President Trump, claiming the election was stolen, breached the building in an unprecedented attack that left five dead, including a police officer.
The conditions of Johnson’s release include a $25,000 bond, a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, surrender of his passport, no firearms or weapons, and restricted travel in Middle District of Florida and D.C. for court matters.
Johnson’s next court date is Jan. 19.
According to reports, Johnson was one of the dozens of people who caused mayhem in Wednesday’s assault. A photo widely shared on social media allegedly shows him smile and wave as he carries off a lectern bearing the official seal of the Speaker of the House.
Johnson’s lawyers were asked if the photograph poses a challenge to their court battle.
“I don’t know how else to explain that, but yeah that would be a problem,” Johnson’s lawyer Dan Eckhart said. “I’m not a magician […] so yeah we’ve got a photograph of our client who appears to be inside the federal building with government property.”
The 36-year-old is said to have traveled from Parrish, an unincorporated community in Manatee County, to Washington, D.C. and had documented the trip on his Facebook profile, which was also used to disparage law enforcement and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Allan Mestel, who knows Johnson, told WFLA he notified the FBI after recognizing him in the photo.
“I felt a little disassociated for a minute. It was almost like, it was surreal. I mean it was surreal. I wasn’t surprised, but I was shocked,” Mestel said. “Couldn’t believe it, the fact that I recognize somebody from our hometown was — I was floored.”