Sarah Burris is a long-time veteran of political campaigns, having worked as a fundraiser and media director across the United States. She transitioned into reporting while working for Rock the Vote, Future Majority and Wiretap Magazine, covering the Millennial Generation's perspective during the presidential elections. As a political writer, Burris has had bylines at CNN, Salon.com, BNR, and AlterNet and serves as a senior digital editor for RawStory.com.
"Among the images of individuals who entered the U.S. Capitol without authorization was an individual dressed in dark clothing, wearing a 'hoodie' and carrying a black flag that reads in part 'Trump 2020 The Sequel, Make The Liberals Cry Again,'" said the Statement of Facts from the Justice Department. "As described below, this person has been identified as Justin Michael SMITH (SMITH). Through FBI Cleveland’s investigation as detailed below, SMITH was determined to be a resident of the Northern District of Ohio."
The documents went on to explain that search warrants revealed that Smith logged into the WiFi at the U.S. Capitol while he was allegedly ransacking the building. They used "sources including GPS data and information about nearby Wi-Fi access points and Bluetooth beacons." They note that at times the exact location can't be pinpointed, so it's generally estimated within 10 meters, which includes the Capitol complex.
The Cleveland FBI field office also got screen captures of Smith's alleged Facebook account from a confidential informant (CI) to match the images with the CCTV footage from inside the building.
"The CI is not working off charges related to a criminal prosecution. Rather, the CI’s motivation for providing information is from his/her sense of outrage regarding the attacks on law enforcement during the events of January 6, 2021," said the documents. "The CI requested his/her identity be protected to the extent possible, but he/she is willing to testify if necessary. The CI does not know Justin Michael Smith personally"