FBI agents arrested a Winter Haven man Monday on charges that he entered the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot .
Christopher Sean Madison, 36, is the eighth current or former Polk County resident to face charges related to the insurrection.
Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui issued an arrest warrant for Madison on Sept. 24, and he was arrested Monday in Lakeland, according to federal court documents. The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Madison with five counts: knowingly entering a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restrictive building or grounds; entering and remaining in certain rooms in a Capitol building; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
The criminal complaint that yielded the arrest warning describes Madison’s alleged actions on Jan. 6, 2021. In June, a special agent whose name is redacted reviewed photos submitted by the public that the agent determined showed Madison in Washington, D.C., on the day that Congress met to certify results of the 2020 presidential election.
The images came from press photos and publicly posted YouTube videos, the agent wrote.
In the photos, a person identified as Madison is seen wearing tan boots, blue jeans, a dark jacket, a tan sling-style bag, a red ball cap and a bicycle helmet over the cap, as shown in photos included with the complaint.
Madison joined supporters of former President Donald Trump at a “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse before venturing to the U.S. Capitol, the complaint says. The document includes photos of the person identified as Madison walking a bicycle on Constitution Avenue and on foot on the Northwest Lawn outside the Capitol.
Rioters first breached the Capitol building at 2:13 p.m., and a review of surveillance camera images confirmed that Madison entered the building at that time, the complaint says. It includes photos of the person identified as Madison entering through the Senate Wing Door.
Madison initially walked toward the Senate chamber but then walked down a hallway to the Capitol Crypt, where U.S. Capitol Police had formed an impromptu line prevent rioters from progressing further, the complaint says. A photo shows the man in the red hat standing on furniture in the Crypt.
Madison next appeared one floor above, where he entered the Capitol in the Rotunda area, the agent wrote. He walked south through the Rotunda and eventually entered the Statutory Hall, before continuing south to the Connector Hall, where he spent time among a large group of people who had entered the building, the complaint says. More photos of the person identified as Madison appear in the document.
Polk defendants Court documents hint at defenses planned in trials on Jan. 6 charges
Madison returned through the Statutory Hall and walked inside the office suite for the Speaker of the House, the complaint says. He worked his way east through the office corridors and Rotunda area and left the Capitol from the second floor on the east side at approximately 2:47 p.m. Madison spent approximately 34 minutes inside the Capitol, according to the complaint.
On July 12, an FBI Task Force officer conducted surveillance and identified Madison in the garage of a relative’s home in Dundee, the complaint says.
Madison had an appearance in federal court, an FBI spokesperson said.
Madison is only the second person from Polk County accused of entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The other, former Lakeland resident Corinne Montoni , accepted a plea deal and served a 30-day sentence.
Joshua Doolin of Polk County was found guilty on three charges and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Five other current or former Polk County residents — Jonathan Pollock, Olivia Pollock , Joseph Hutchinson III, Brian Boele and Thomas Osborne — are awaiting trials.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Winter Haven man is 8th from Polk County arrested on charges related to Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot
Local News
