(StraightNews.org) – A former federal employee has been charged after allegedly repeatedly feeding false tips to the FBI about participants in the January 6 riots on Capitol Hill. Feds arrested Miguel Eugenio Zapata in Virginia and charged him with making false statements to law enforcement agencies. Court documents reveal that Zapata allegedly submitted seven anonymous tips to the FBI, claiming that federal government staff were involved in the January 6 disorder.
The court documents did not reveal which federal agency Mr. Zapata worked for, but did state that he worked with all the individuals he named in his anonymous tip-offs. The files also state that none of the seven people were in Washington, DC, on January 6.
Zapata’s alleged offenses date back to February 2021, when he submitted the first false tip that his colleague traveled to the Capitol seeking to “hunt for politicians and execute them.” The affidavit states that the suspect worked with the person for two years in an unidentified federal department.
Another false tip came in April, with Zapata accusing several colleagues of supporting groups, including Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, and Boogaloos. He said those organizations planned to overthrow the government, and his coworkers were going to help.
Evidence furthermore showed that the suspect had allegedly researched the named colleagues, described them as anti-government conspirators, and written to their bosses. He used separate IP addresses, but documents state the language used was similar.
FBI investigators noted that the defendant used burner emails to submit the tips and confirmed that federal agents followed up with them, interviewing the named individuals. All provided proof that they were not in Washington that day.
The charging documents further note that FBI tip submissions include a warning that knowingly providing false information is a federal criminal offense.
Mr. Zapata was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court toward the end of May. He faces a potential punishment of five years in prison.
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