John Maron Nassif was arrested today by the FBI in connection with the January 6 Capitol riots, with the help of Facebook posts that "friends" had captured before he deleted them.
Nassif, of Winter Springs FL, has been charged with unlawful and violent entry and disorderly conduct charges. Nassif was reported to the FBI by two witnesses to his Facebook account.
But in his telling on Facebook, it all seemed much ado about nothing:
"I found myself inside the building. The Rotunda was nearly filled with people. No was fighting or being violent. More pushing and I decided to leave. It wasn't until I was walking back that I heard a rumor someone had been shot. It wasn't 'til I got back to the hotel room I learned the specifics. Anyone who is telling you was some kind of coup etc. is telling you lies."
In another Facebook conversation on January 8, Nassif notably told someone, "You know I was there, right? You don't find it odd that police officer (sic) was welcoming us in? Considering the narrative that's being pushed?"
By the next day, however, Nassif did seem aware that extra caution might be in order. He told another Facebook friend that he had deleted his Twitter account and app. And he advised this:
"Download this (Signal app) and turn off auto updates for your app on your phone. Encrypted comms should we need them."
The FBI complaint stated that one of the witnesses against Nassif describing seeing a video in which his voice can be heard indicating he was inside the Capitol building. Another witness identified Nassif from photos shown by the FBI.
Nassif is expected to appear today in federal court in Orlando, reports WKMG-TV News 6 there. The station also reports he is the 16th suspect charged from central Florida.
You can read the FBI complaint here.