ALL PHOTOGRAPHS ARE FROM THE STATEMENT OF FACT RECORDED BY THE FBI.

ST. MARY’S COUNTY, Md. — An online tip recently led to the arrest of a Piney Point man for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at U.S. Capitol.

John D. Andries, 35,  was taken into custody by the FBI this week while appearing in court in St. Mary’s County for another matter.

According to a sworn affidavit from FBI Special Agent Jamshid Ochilov, the agency received a tip from someone who thought they recognized Andries on the news while watching coverage of protestors storming the U.S. Capitol. The tipster told investigators that Andries had previous DUI arrests.

The tipster provided the FBI with Andries’s address and phone number and told them Andries was a military veteran. The tipster also gave agents a link to YouTube videos of the riot and picked out the person they believed to be Andries. 

An FBI agent conducted surveillance on January 21, and determined Andries did match the appearance of the man in the video, and even had on the same jacket. 

Another FBI agent interviewed a St. Mary’s County Deputy Sheriff who’d had contact with Andries on an unrelated complaint on January 11. The deputy also confirmed that the person in the Capitol riot videos appeared to be Andries. 

Screenshots from riot video show a man identified as Andries on the steps of the Capitol, entering the building through a broken window, and confronting officers inside the building. 

Based on the affidavit from the FBI, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui issued a sealed arrest warrant for Andries’s arrest on January 28. The court felt Andries posed a serious flight risk if the arrest warrant was made public. 

Officials charged Andries with five counts connected to the riot:

  • Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building
  • Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building
  • Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct at the Grounds and in a Capitol Building
  • Impeding Passage Through the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
  • Parading, Demonstrating, and Picketing in a Capitol Building

All of the crimes are misdemeanors. The court released Andries on his own recognizance and scheduled a Zoom hearing for Feb. 17 before Judge Rudolph Contreras.

These charges aren’t Andries’ only problem. According to court records, property belonging to to John D. Andries in St. Mary’s County will go on the auction block for unpaid taxes on March 21. 

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